100 Things I've learned the hard way #21 - #32

More pearls of wisdom:

21. Buy the cooking oil while you are at the supermarket. Guaranteed, the bottle at home will not have enough oil in it to reach the little line inside your deep fryer.

22. No matter how frugal you want to be by saving money on vacuum bags, don't buy the bagless vacuum. They don't suck, as in, they don't work very well if you have pets especially.

23. There is no shame in having a small shop vac as your household vacuum. It's the only thing that won't clog sucking up great tufts of Labrador fur.

24. You can not put a price on a good dog, they are indispensable. Louis is gentle with the littles, actually whimpers along with the upset/crying, cuddles with me when I'm newly out of the hospital and weak as water, is a one dog welcome wagon for children returning home for the weekend and growls, snarls and acts like he will take the door down when there is a stranger at the door. Priceless.

25. Houses are the most reasonably priced where it is the hardest to obtain a job

26. Teenagers know everything. Twenty year olds aren't teenagers and they aren't adults, so they still know everything, but they're not 100% sure about it.

27. Cats, children and dogs don't perform on command.

28. When your daughter is a teenager, it is inevitable that you are going to say, do or wear something that will embarrass her.

29. When your son is a teenager, you will age at least 10 years in his estimation, and although you embarrass him, he'll kind of grit and bare it.

30. When a sibling turns 30, the younger kids will all think he is ancient, but so will the teens and the one's in their early twenties.

31. Your mom will give you unsolicited child rearing advice, even when you're in your 40's and it's with your sixth child.

32. You will give your mom unsolicited advice about her caring for her great grandchild, even when she is in her 70's, is the mother of 5, the grandmother of 13, and the great grandmother of 7.

Some advice for President elect Obama

Well, you've won the election, and the chickens have come home to roost. That's right. Ah, ha. You promised your daughters that you'd get them a puppy. But so far, Pops, you haven't delivered.
Perhaps you thought it was more important to get your cabinet in order. For a grown up, that is understandable. After all, the country is going to hell in a hand basket; what with the economy tanking, banks failing and every one standing with their hand out for some bail out bucks.
Or, perhaps you've thought it through a little more carefully and are kind of rethinking this getting a puppy promise.
After all, it's not really getting a pooch that is the problem. It's the being the President and getting a pooch that is the problem. By now, you've realized like never before that every move, decision and sneeze you make will be analyzed, re-analyzed and then scrutinized.

Get a pooch, and no doubt there will be a national debate on what kind of pooch you should get, and what the psychological implications it reveals about your personality.

Pick a poodle, and the country will get worried about our national security.

Pick a rottweiler or a pit bull and the world will be worried about their national security.

Pick a German Shepherd, and the rest of the world will wonder what kind of a message you are sending? Secret friendship? Secret deals? Hmmmm.........

My advice, skip the pooch.

No, I'm not recommending that you renege or that you go back on a promise, especially not one that you made to your daughters. But I'm pretty sure if you make them get out of bed every morning at 5:30, to hurriedly stuff their feet into socks and shoes, pull on a jacket and go out to face the weather - cold, breeze, rain and even snow- their eagerness for a puppy will fade away.

If not, remind them that they then will have to scoop up and dispose of what the puppy left. For at least 10 years. Ick!

Instead, get them a Maine Coon Cat. First of all, a Maine Coon is a good, old made in America breed of cat. No one can read a mixed message in that.

Second, the Maine Coon is a gentle giant. Your daughters can carry, pet and really enjoy these cats without the danger of being scratched. Little girls love to brush their pets, and the Maine Coon will enjoy it.

Third, you don't have to take a Maine Coon outdoors in rain, snow and sleet for potty duties.

Fourth, when your family needs to travel, the girls can take their pet with them quite easily in a pet carrier without the annoying bark! bark! that you usually get with a dog. In unfamiliar surroundings, a pet is a comforting familiar.

As for naming your new pet, that could lead to even more public input. My advice? Not really sure right now. I'll have to get back to you on that.