Dawg with a Blawg

Very interesting thoughts from a very lovely person!

recent posts

  • The Sun, The Moon & The Stars 💥

    I am a firm believer that words have power and that you can speak things into existence. That’s why I’m always saying that I am so handsome and gorgeous and funny and perfect. I said these things, so they became true. These are my affirmations. Some other affirmations that I have include things like:

    • “This food that I’m cooking is not going to kill me at all.”
    • “This bite size piece of chicken that I’ve been cooking for ten minutes is not raw at all.”
    • “I can cook chicken and nothing bad is going to happen to me.”
    • “This chicken is not going to make me sick and I am going to wake up tomorrow.”

    Hopefully the more I say these out loud, the more I will believe them to be true. In case you’re wondering, yes, I did cook chicken tonight. Yes, I did cut it up into small bite size pieces, and yes, I did cook it for so long that it’s completely burnt and nearly impossible to eat. I’m working on it.

    This morning, I ran through the Level Up workout that I’m most nervous about with one of my trainers and I did surprisingly well. This is one of the movements that I thought I would be physically incapable of completing, and it turned out to be much less intimidating than I thought. I have approximately three weeks to keep working on this and I am feeling a lot more confident and a lot less anxious!

    If you’ve read my last few blogs, you’ll know that I have been quite bored lately and have been trying my best to sit with that boredom and allow my mind to be okay with nothing overly exciting going on. Unfortunately, that was just not working out for me. So naturally, I decided to strike up a conversation with the only person in this world that could lead to me saying things like this:

    I have a real way with words 🤩

    Nobody is allowed to get mad at me for this. It is all for the love of the game 🙌

    It has now been about an hour since I ate that chicken and I feel completely fine. My affirmations have worked once again, proving that I am still the most powerful person to exist. I think I am going to go on another walk in hopes that it prevents me from threatening to destroy any other celestial objects. However, if you start to see the stars disappear from the sky one by one, just know it was well-deserved.

    I hope everyone has a very safe and fun Halloween weekend! Try to speak the things you want into existence. You are worthy of all that you want and desire!

    You’re very powerful, Dawgs ❤️

  • Giving Myself The Silent Treatment

    I have decided to take a vow of silence for the next three to four hours, potentially even for the rest of the day. I haven’t said anything since 4:15PM. I’m also not listening to music or watching any videos. If you have a TikTok that you want me to see, you’re going to have to reenact it for me. The first twenty minutes of silence made me very itchy, but then I realized that there are so many beautiful sounds to be heard when I am not running my mouth about something. I’m going to go on a silent walk and see where the sounds of nature take me.

    I went on a very long walk this morning, and it was so windy that it whipped one of my braids around and hit me right in the eye. That seemed less like the wind and more like a mean ghost. Then, I went to the gym for another insane bodyweight conditioning day. The first five minutes consisted of alternating between burpees and outdoor sprints, followed by 30 minutes of jumping around in one way or another. We had another five minute round of sprinting and burpees, and then finished with a few minutes of half burpees.

    The intensity of this workout may have been what led to my need for silence. I need to work on my mental fortitude if I’m going to win this competition. My mind tells me to quit long before my body fails me, and I need to fix that. Maybe at the end of these quiet hours I will be able to move things with my mind like Matilda. There’s really only one way to find out what I am capable of 🤐

    I hope everyone’s weekend was lovely and full of joy! I hope the week ahead brings you a lot of laughter and love and warmth. Try to bring joy to the people around you, and remember that you are capable of whatever you put your mind to.

    Be well, Dawgs ❤️

  • Bounce, Laugh, Repeat 🔁

    When I got home last night, I sat down and started writing my blog. I was sitting at my kitchen counter and was feeling quite odd, but thought I should try to write something anyways. I’m glad that I did not post what I wrote, because it’s possible you all would have thought I was in some sort of psychosis. The general subject was about how I am not good at sitting still and how I am not used to having nothing to do, but after reading it back it sort of came across like I was losing my mind a bit. I normally have three hundred thoughts racing around in my head and last night my mind was empty, so it felt a bit like end times for me. Luckily, I woke up this morning with my head as chaotic as it usually is and I made my way to the gym. All is well.

    Yesterday I was reunited with Sweet Sheccid and we had a wonderful time jumping around in a bounce house. The amount of times I have been in a bounce house in the last two years is probably more than the rest of my life combined. It’s a truly incredible experience and I encourage all of my readers to go jump around the next time you are presented with the opportunity to do so. It was very nice to catch up with this lovely lady, and it just made me very grateful for all of the incredible people I am surrounded by. I’m very lucky to have a group of silly and funny and kind friends that I get to laugh with every single day.

    I spent most of this morning standing outside of my friend’s home, talking to her through a window since her daughter is dealing with a mysterious illness at the moment. This little quarantine situation was not going to stop me from getting my laughs in today. Now I am home and am once again dealing with my inability to sit still and be alone. Maybe I should try to spend some time in my home and appreciate it, but it is too quiet and I get too bored to do anything like that. So, I will most likely show up at one of the events going on in this town tonight and find more people to giggle with before the day is done.

    I hope everyone is having an amazing weekend so far! I hope you’ve laughed and have had joy in your heart many times today. If you haven’t, just come find me and I will be sure to make it happen 😃

    Later, Dawgs ❤️

  • It’s A Date! 🗓️

    Tonight, I spent some time rereading a few of my old blogs. It’s been almost a year since I started this blog and I wanted to look back on its progression and see how far we’ve come. In reading these old posts, I was reminded of something that I did that genuinely had me sitting here tonight laughing until I had tears in my eyes. This particular blog was back in the Mr. Handsome Era, which I’m sure my loyal subscribers recall fondly, and I remembered that this man looked at me and said he was thinking about getting dinner on Christmas because he didn’t have any plans, and I just looked him dead in the eyes and said, “Yes, you should have dinner alone on Christmas! 😃😃😃”. I still to this day don’t know why I would say that. This was back in what we refer to as my “Chad Phase” and I can’t stop laughing at the interactions that occurred during this time. Those infamous five words still haunt me though…

    Anyways, back to current day. I’ve decided that I am going to start referring to everything that I do as a date. That way when people ask me how my dating life is going, I can say that it is going very well! Last night, I went on an urgent care date and met the strangest doctor I have ever come across in my life. This afternoon, I went on a lunch date with an old coworker and we chatted about our very exciting lives. Then, I went on a date with my two lovely friends and got sent home with free bananas. After that, I had a raffle basket date with someone that requested I make them some very odd pants for them to wear to my competition. Everyone reading this should know that moving forward, if we interact at all, it’s a date.

    After such an exciting day, I am incredibly sleepy. I will most likely be sound asleep approximately three seconds after I post this. Before I drift off, I just wanted to let my newer subscribers know that it is required for you to go back and read every single one of my blogs in chronological order. There will be a quiz on this the next time I see you, and I am not joking in the slightest. I actually might quiz every single one of you. There will be a test and if you fail, something terrible is going to happen to you.

    I’ll link my very first post below for the new readers to begin with and to refresh the memory of my long time subscribers 😃

    Hello Everyone!

    I hope everyone gets some rest tonight and wakes up with joy and love and light in their heart. I appreciate everyone that takes the time to read about what’s going on in my silly head!

    Goodnight, Dawgs ❤️

  • Heart Rate PR: 208 🫀

    For maybe the first time ever, I did not snooze my alarm 75 times in a row and I actually got out of bed early today. My eyes opened at 5:16AM and apparently I was just ready to start this lovely Wednesday. This is very big news as I am usually half-dead to the world for the first hour that I’m awake and will do anything to crawl back into bed. Perhaps I am just a new and better woman today 😃

    I spent the last two nights watching my nieces and nephew, and as always, they were the best nights of my life. These kids are genuinely my greatest joy and every day I think about how lucky I am to be their aunt and to get to watch them grow up. They are in a real Paw Patrol phase right now and they spend a lot of time quizzing me on all of the characters’ names. However, there seems to be a new character added to the list every week so it’s a bit of a losing battle for me. They also have been calling me by my real name every once in a while instead of the two-syllable version that’s been used for the last 4 years, so that has been a bit shocking. They are such silly kids and I just love them so dearly. 

    The day that RaRa stops being used completely will be a very sad day.

    Today is bodyweight conditioning at the gym and I saw that there is absolutely no equipment on the floor, which means I am about to have the hardest workout of my life. Probably just a lot of jumping and running and hopping around while someone yells at me to stay in it when all I want to do is lay down and throw up. At the last body-con, my heart rate reached 208, setting a personal record that I am not trying to surpass any further. My competition is one month from today and I am still feeling very nervous and like I have a lot of work left to do in order to perform how I’d like to. If anyone has advice on how to become the strongest and fastest person on the planet in the next 31 days, please feel free to send it my way. 

    I hope everyone has an amazing Wednesday! I’d like to ask that in solidarity of me going to this nightmarish workout, you all do something that challenges you today. Get outside your comfort zone and see what you are capable of on this beautiful fall day. 

    Wish me luck, Dawgs ❤️

  • Mr. Gold & The Whisperer

    It’s Say-Something-Nice-About-Me-Sunday!! You all know what to do. I gave you time to prepare so it better be good. If you read this and don’t participate, you will get another strike, or perhaps I will block you. Whatever my heart feels once I’ve realized that you’ve betrayed me, I suppose.

    Last night, I made two lovely new friends. More importantly, I gained two new subscribers. One of them is approximately eight feet tall and speaks mostly in whispers, so I can only hear about two-thirds of everything he says. The two-thirds that I can hear are all good things, so hopefully the one-third that I’m missing isn’t anything horrible. The other friend is apparently really into “buying little bits of gold, just to have” and I find that to be very interesting. One time, I walked out of my office and saw Mr. Gold pacing the hallway very slowly and he just sort of nodded at me as I walked by, so I was little scared of him. But now I know he’s a cool guy that probably won’t kill me at all. Everyone give these new characters a warm welcome to the blog.

    Harper and I spent about four hours standing in a dark corner with these friends last night, making small children cry and fall down. I’d like to go on record that this was not the outcome that I was hoping for, but I can not speak for everyone else and what their intentions were as they chased them down the halls, screaming at them. I also made everyone play a game called Guess The Song, which is where I take two baseball bats and attempt to create something resembling a beat on a metal chair. They said I sound just like Beethoven 🤩 They are too kind.

    I’m happy to report that I was very productive before work today. My home is clean and my laundry is done and my new candle is burning, so I am feeling very at peace tonight. I’m rewatching It’s Always Sunny and drinking my smoothie. My life feels wonderful in this moment and I hope yours does too.

    Don’t forget to participate in today’s activity! Comment something nice, text me something nice, write a ten page letter, maybe. Just be sure to get it done if you don’t want to lose blog privileges 😃

    I hope the week ahead is full of joy and silliness and wins for everyone reading this!

    Goodnight, Dawgs! ❤️

    Now imagine me playing this song on a metal chair.

  • You Don’t Want To Know What Happens At Strike Three 👹

    I just want to remind everyone that yesterday was Think-Of-Me-Thursday! I’m assuming that everyone acted accordingly. If you didn’t, just know that I am very disappointed and you are on strike one. If you get to strike three, something very bad is going to happen to you…

    They have released the workouts for my competition next month, and I am quite nervous. They seem much more challenging than last year. Although, this may be exactly how I felt last year and I just don’t remember. I do know that once again they have included a form of lunges, which I am severely allergic to. I will continue consuming alarming amounts of protein and burning 1,000 calories every day to see if it helps treat said allergy. 

    As many of you know, I have changed my hair drastically in the last few weeks. And for some reason, I have not been told that I look beautiful, handsome, gorgeous, radiant, stunning, breathtaking, and completely magnificent. While I’ve heard some variations of this, I’ve yet to hear this exact sequence and it’s left me quite confused as I know it’s the only way to describe me. It’s puzzling, really.

    While the main purpose of this post was to remind everyone that they should be thinking about me, I do have an important announcement to make. A few months ago, I told someone that I would be giving them a proper shoutout in my blog and officially awarding them the title of My Best Friend. Nearly once a week since then, I have been reminded that I have not yet done this. So, this post is dedicated to my very dear and best friend, Kayla. She feeds me, allows me to enter her home at my leisure using the key she so graciously provided, and tolerates the 47 crises I have throughout each day. She is a very kind woman that I am extremely grateful to have met. If not for her, it’s possible I would have fully lost it by now. 

    My closing thought today, is that I don’t believe I would survive the Hunger Games. I’ve been rewatching the movies lately and I just don’t think I would be able to stop talking long enough to stay hidden in the face of danger in there. My incredible strength would not be able to save me from my constant need to share every thought that comes into my mind. 

    I hope you lovely readers have a weekend full of joy and laughter. Remember that Say-Something-Nice-About-Me-Sunday is coming up, so be sure to prepare for that! 

    Be well, Dawgs ❤️ 

  • In Loving Memory 🧡

    I’m not exactly sure how to start this. These past few days have been the absolute saddest of my life, and I am trying my best to process everything and work through it. Over the weekend, I lost both my uncle and a dear former colleague of mine. Getting the news about both of these losses was incredibly gutting and heartbreaking in so many different ways. I don’t feel like I’m in a place yet to talk about my uncle, but I wanted to take the time to share about my colleague, and friend, Kevin.

    Kevin was a deeply good person. He was genuinely, to his core, just a good man. When I first met him, he was the head of maintenance in the apartment complex I was moving into. He gave me a tour of the unit and I could immediately see the amount of pride he took in the work he did. He quickly became a trusted face for me in this community and he never passed by without asking how I was or if I needed anything. He genuinely cared for every single one of his residents. About a year later, he decided to take a new job at the company I had been working for at the time. I was thrilled that I had the opportunity to work alongside such an incredible person. His passion and dedication was truly inspiring. It was never just a job or a paycheck to him. He genuinely enjoyed the work he was doing and role he played in building the community that he loved so much.

    More than anything though, he was the proudest dad and husband that I have ever met. I can’t remember a single conversation I had with him that did not involve his children or his wonderful wife in some way. I’m sure that everyone he met knew his wife’s name, because he was always just so excited to talk about her. He was so happy to show off the matching tattoos that they had gotten, and I just remember thinking about the way he lit up when he talked about her and his family. The love he had for them just radiated off of him.

    Kevin was also a very silly man who loved to laugh. One time, he had mentioned that his cubicle felt cold and he wished that he had a window. He joked about sitting at his desk and wanting to have a beachfront view while he worked. I quickly went on Amazon to find the closest thing I could get to make this tropical view happen for him. My friends and I waited until he was gone one day and hung it up in his cubicle for him. It was something we thought was funny and goofy, and we knew he would get a good laugh out of it. I hope that it was something that brought him a little bit of joy and silliness each time he saw it.

    Kevin was one of those people that lit up every room he walked into. Even just a short interaction with him could turn your whole day around. The thought that would come to mind after any conversation with him was simply, “Man, I love Kevin.” He was just a joy to be around. He cared so deeply for the people around him and was so incredibly kind. He was goodhearted and thoughtful. He was immensely knowledgeable and so funny. He was a genuine friend to everyone. He was someone that I knew I could call if I needed anything at all. Again, he was just a truly good person that wanted to do good in this world.

    I only knew Kevin for three short years and I am overwhelmingly heartbroken. I can’t begin to imagine what his family and loved ones are experiencing right now. All of my prayers are with them as they try to sort their way through this grief. I hope they know how absolutely beloved Kevin was by everyone he crossed paths with. His light, his kindness, and his warmth made such a huge impact on this world. It was a genuine privilege and honor to know this man.

    Tell the people around you what they mean to you. Tell your people that you love them. Spend your time spreading joy and laughter and love in the way that this man did every single day. Take pride in the work you do and the role you play in your community. Love your family well. Love your neighbors well. This is a devastating reminder that we don’t have as much time together as we might think. Just do good in any way that you can. The impact that Kevin had on my life, as well as hundreds of others, will never be forgotten.

    With all my love,

    “Miss Raydek” 🧡

  • Welcome Back Everyone 🙌

    Dawgs, I am back! I would like to offer you all my sincerest apologies for my absence, as I’m sure your inboxes were sad and boring without me. Luckily for you, I’m here to once again share my incredibly interesting thoughts with everyone 😃

    I think to get you all up-to-date on my life, I’ll share a list of keywords to describe all of the happenings and events that have taken place over the last couple months. My life has consisted of: oddly-served chili, giraffe pamplemoose, ice packs, Kung Fu Fighting, pushups, party time, “I’m Marshall”, coco-ritas, meatloaf, accidental Halloween hair, and beans. I think this list is better without any context, but I will say that if anyone ever sees me making a “bean salad” ever again, know that I have reached rock bottom and am in desperate need of help.

    Looking ahead, I will be getting extremely strong in these next couple months. I have 56 days until I am participating in a competition at my gym and I have decided to fully commit to training for this competition as though I am going to the Olympics. I would like to ask for your support during these next 56 days as I dedicate all my time to leveling up. Any advice or words of encouragement would be deeply appreciated as I work to become the champion of fitness. I’m very excited for this challenge and will keep everyone updated on my progress as I grow stronger and more powerful.

    Before I end this, I just wanted to say that I truly appreciate anyone that is reading this. Although I’ve lacked the creativity to write much lately, I just love this silly little blog and am grateful for you lovely people that take a few minutes out of your day to read my silly little thoughts. I hope everyone’s weekend is full of joy and laughter and love!

    I’ve missed you, Dawgs ❤️

  • My Sleepy Season

    Being a woman of many talents comes at a cost, and the cost is that it’s quite exhausting. I am a tired woman. Since the beginning of this blog, I have done my best to keep things positive and encouraging, because I believe that the media you consume everyday deeply affects your mindset. So, I’ve wanted to keep things uplifting and light-hearted for the lovely people that care to read my ramblings. However, only writing when I’m feeling upbeat has made it hard to write anything at all lately. So, I thought that maybe writing something honest about where I’m at right now might help to reignite the creative spark that I’ve lost.

    I get the keys to my new apartment tomorrow, and while I’m excited for this new chapter, I’m also sad and stressed out and worried. I’ve been swinging back and forth between the good and bad of my current situation, without being able to really land in the balance of things. It’s hard for me to accept that the positives and negatives can coexist. I’m just feeling worn out and discouraged. I’m struggling with knowing that I have so many beautiful things to be grateful for everyday, yet still feeling so tired.

    I know though, that this is just a season of life. Which is why I’m sharing this not-so-inspiring blog to my wonderful subscribers. I know that I am not the only one going through a tough time, and I hope that anyone feeling the same way will see this and remember that it is just temporary. Remember that the good days always return. The joy always comes back around. There are wonderful days in each of our lives that we haven’t lived yet. When they arrive, I’ll be blogging about those days too.

    And I know it’s been awhile since we’ve celebrated it together, but this is just your friendly reminder that it’s Think-Of-Me-Thursday. Everybody better have thought about me today!

    Get some rest, Dawgs ❤️