Feel Good Friday. AGAIN!!!

It's time for another installment of the Feel Good Friday Blog! Remember the world ain't so bad so go show some love and try to be patient with each other! Let's get into this and let's start with DOGS!

Dogs are the bestest and I love every one.

I love Chris Traeger

 

So for the next few posts it will just be dogs, nothing else. Especially snow loafs.

This is a rare North American Snow Loaf

Here is 20 minutes of dogs being funny.

Brand new weekly theme compilation where we challenge you to Try Not To Laugh at these Funny Dogs. Funny Pet Videos brings you the best cute animal compilations, try not to laugh challenges, fails, wins, and hilarious viral videos.

Here are dogs in costume!

Watch out for the ambulance on 0:10! 😱 😂 Subscribe http://bit.ly/FunnyPetMedia for weekly videos! Cute Pets He's obsessed with his elephant costume -- Cute Pets -- Funny dog videos -- dog costumes https://www.youtu.be/hhtDuEJLnCo Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund Crusoe the Dachshund Having Fun in the Rain!

Here is the cutest dog ever.

Rolls for days

Did you know that dogs aren't just goofy and lovable companions? Sometimes they do useful stuff like save the occasional life (Okay so they have a lot of lives but I am not trying to research here. It's Friday and I have lots to do before I go.)

Brave Dog Saves Baby Deer From Drowning | This very brave dog saved a baby deer from drowning - but then she jumped back in and someone else had to rescue her! Love Animals? Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCINb0wqPz-A0dV9nARjJlOQ?sub_confirmation=1 To help this deer's rescuers save more animals, you can support the Strong Island Animal Rescue League: http://thedo.do/strong.

Aaaand finally here is a dog that is actually a cat. Tara a tabby from Bakersfield CA jumped into action to save this 4 year old from a neighbor's dog winning the Hero Dog Award!

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles awarded its prestigious "Hero Dog" award this year to a cat named Tara

Austin's Favorite Seasonal movies

October/Halloween - Scary movies and spooky classics!

Beetlejuice

Spooky, irreverent, hilarious, and very clever. A morbidly hilarious look into what Tim Burton thinks happens after death. Complete with a great musical number, DAY-O!

The Nightmare before Christmas

Is this an October or December movie? I don't know but again, a look inside the mind if Tim Burton, complete with vertical black and white stripes, catchy musical numbers, and a dark, morbid sweetness.

Motel Hell

Now THAT is how you write a tagline!

This is one of the most bizarrely terrible "Horror" movies I have ever seen. At no time during the entire duration of the movie is ANYTHING explained. What are the motivations behind these weird people? Who writes characters like this? Why does a cannibal farmer and his girlfriend need to capture people only to bury them in the dirt up to their heads for an extended period of time. Then they turn them into sausage. It really is an absurd movie. Keep an eye out for a young John Ratzenberger (Cliff from Cheers and Ham from Toy Story)

Evil Dead 1, Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness

LIsten up you primative screwheads, This here is my BOOMSTICK!

Sam Raimy's horror classic was, I believe, made in seriousness but was so corny it immediately gained a cult following. Evil dead 2 carried on that "success" and Army of Darkness went all in on the cheesy comedy aspect and was a very tongue-in-cheek take on the story of a S-Mart clerk who is whisked away to a far away and medieval time where magic exists and the dead walk the earth. Equipped with a boomstick, chainsaw arm, and lots of witty quips our hero, Ash, must defeat the forces of evil and unify the land so he can go back to Sporting Goods at S-Mart.

November - Let the holidays begin

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

If you have never seen this film you need to. Comedy legends, Steve Martin and John Candy make on odd couple of road trip companion forced to travel through any and all means to make it home for Thanksgiving. John Candy plays a gregarious slob of a shower curtain salesman and Steve Martin plays an uptight ad exec. Comedy gold ensues.

Adam's Family Values

You will never find a more loving and devoted family than this one here.

This came up on google as a Thanksgiving movie. I remember something about a Thanksgiving play but honestly, there aren't a lot of choices unless you want to watch the Thankskilling Trilogy.

December - All the best seasonal movies

Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol

If you don’t love this story than you should be boiled in your own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through your heart.

I cannot accurately describe how much I love this story. Every year I watch the Patrick Stewart version (The Best), The Albert Finney Version (old and musical), and The Mickey Mouse Version from the eighties (nostalgic). I also listen to the book on tape at least once. It's a great story

Scrooged

One of my favorite films, Bill Murray plays Frank Cross - a cynical TV exec who is visited by 3 ghosts in an attempt to return him to the Christmas Spirit. It is obviously an adaptation of A Christmas Carol but I count it as a second movie because I love it so much.

Buddy the Elf

He loves Christmas and Candy. He was raised as an elf at the North Pole but is actually the son of Jerk New York Businessman. He leaves the N. Pole and heads to New York (on foot) to find out where he belongs. Also, he saves Christmas. Hilarious.

Die Hard

IT IS A CHRISTMAS MOVIE! If you tell me it’s not I will raise your rent!

National Lampoon's A Christmas Vacation

It's a far sight better than being added to the Jelly of the Month Club. If you don't love this movie I don't want to know you.

Things do to this winter.

                In an attempt to maintain some level of activity/sanity this winter season I am going to come up with some ideas to keep us all occupied. I don't know about you but I tend to hibernate during the winter. I don't go out, I probably drink too much and I definitely eat too much. I get weak, reclusive, and really pale. On top of all that I tend to get pretty depressed from all the darkness and rain. Add all this together and by the time spring rolls around I am an overweight, pickled, shell of my former self. How does a person keep themselves happy and healthy for 8 months in the miserable cave of clouds and moisture that the PNW becomes? I honestly don't have a definitive answer to that but I intend to try the following ideas. If you do the same or have any other ideas, I am sure we would all love to hear about them!

So let's start by breaking this up into indoor activities and outdoor activities. I will start indoors because I want to and I am the one writing this blog. Here we go.

INDOOR WINTER IDEAS!

1.) BOOKS!

Read just enough of a book that you feel justified posting a picture of you reading on your Insta. You don't need to finish it, there won't be a test, just enough to get a good pic. #bookworm #nerd #itotallyreadalotofbooks

2.) VIDEO GAME MARATHON/PARTY

I don't need bad weather to play vid games but a cold and rainy day is the perfect time to start a new adventure or get the family together for some Wii bowling. RPGs (Role Playing Games) like The Witcher or Fallout are great for lone wolves like myself and allow hours of beautiful storytelling and character development while party and multiplayer games like Mario Kart, Wii sports, or Smash Bros are great for families and group. If you aren't into games but would like to get started I recommend beginning with an older system like an Xbox360. Not the most advanced system but much cheaper with a TON of great titles.

3.) EXERCISE

I guess it's good for you or whatever. Moving on.

4.) TREAT YO SELF!

Go to bed early, wake up early, take the extra time to make yourself a nice relaxed breakfast before work and then… don't go into work! Plan a nice dinner for yourself or some friends. Take a nap. Take a hot bath and then spend all day in your PJs re-watching all of The Office. Eat an entire pie!

5.) DRINK!

Scotch is ALWAYS in season.

Alone or with friends, a nice seasonal beverage can be just the thing to set the cozy mood of a winter day. Hot Toddies or a spiked cocoa or coffee is my recommendation. Please drink responsibly…or don't, I'm a blog not a cop.

OUTDOOR WINTER IDEAS

1.) GO TO THE PUB

There are few better places to spend a rainy or snowy day than at your local watering hole. Hang with the regulars, put some music on the jukebox, watch the game, play some pool, get a couple drinks and some food in you! A neighborhood dive is really a wonderful thing on a cold winter weekday. Everyone there should be at work but no one is. No Judgement!

2.) GO FOR A JOG!

HAHAHAHA!

                ~HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Just kidding!

3.) GO SLEDDING!

Remember winter?

Since it won't ever snow again you should probably put wheels on the toboggan. This may be dangerous but so is regular sledding, quit being a baby.

4.) MAKE RAIN ANGELS

Just like snow angels except significantly less fun.

5.) GO WATCH THE WINTERHAWKS PLAY

I’m just gonna take a quick break here.

Tickets are cheap and the games are a lot of fun, especially if you can sneak some schnapps and cocoa in to the joint. Go Hawks!

6.) GO TO YOUR JOB

-You’ve been missing a lot of work

-Oh I wouldn’t say I was missing it,

Whaddya think this is, some kinda fantasy!? Get yur buns to the office! While you are there, take some time to cozy up your work space. Add some seasonal touches or some pictures from home. Try to make the place a little more personal.

Winter Checklist

Furnace Filters

You probably haven't fired up the furnace yet this year or maybe you have. Either way you may not be aware that replacing the furnace filters is the obligation of the tenant and that if the furnace is damaged as result of the filter not being changed then the damages become the responsibility of the tenant. Replacing the filter is the cheaper option. If you aren’t sure what you need to do regarding changing those out please feel free to call us and we can help.

Gutters

Keep an eye on your gutters! Falling leaves and branches can clog your gutters causing over flows, fallen gutters, and ice dams. If it looks like you gutters are full or aren’t draining, let us know and we will come clean them out for you.

Foundation Vent Covers

Some of you will have small crawlspaces under your house/apartment and these should be secured with a screen. During the winter it is important to have Styrofoam blocks in those openings. If your crawlspace is not secured let us know. As for the blocks we have those and will be putting them in but we need you to make sure they stay in.

Hose Bib Styrofoam

The hose bib(s) outside of your unit will need to have a foam cup installed over the faucet to help prevent the freezing of water lines. A frozen water line can burst and cost thousands in damage to the unit and your personal belongings. We will install the foam cups but again, we need you to make sure they stay put!

Pests

The cold weather brings the pests indoors and this year has seen a massive hatching of spiders as well as ant infestations. Small mammals and rodents will also try to get in or under your unit. You do not want this. If you see signs of any type of infestation please let us know ASAP and we will have it professionally handled. Also, Do not leave food outside!

Prepare for bad weather and power outages

We don’t generally get terrible winters but the possibility of power outages and ice are still very real. Prepare accordingly:

                Survival Kit - Non-Perishable food items, flashlights/batteries, bottled water, first aid, portable charger for phones and devices.

                Car Stuff - Check tires, fluids, chains/cables

                Reverse your ceiling fans to push heated air down and increase the efficiency of your heating efforts.

                Protect your entryway- Salt, sand, and water are ever-present during the winter months and       these substances can wreak havoc on your entryway floors. Scraping and warping flooring can be expensive to repair so put a floor mat down outside and inside your entryway door.

REMEMBER! It's only going to snow once, maybe twice this year so be sure to make the most of it by making a snowball and putting it in your freezer till June so you can take it out and pelt someone in the grape with a frozen withered clump of smelly ice!

Life Hacks: Because Life is Hard Enough (Part 1)

For those of you that do not know, A "Life Hack" is a tool or technique that makes some aspect of one's life easier or more efficient. In these trying times anything that can make life better should be warmly embraced and so in the spirit of warm embraces I have compiled a list of hacks for you to make things a little smoother.

1.) How to take a nap when you have children.

Tell them to wake you up in an hour so you can all start cleaning the house. You will sleep like the dead and your children will never be quieter.

2.) How to prevent registration sticker theft.

Clean the area where the sticker will and when the sticker is placed, score it with a razor blade multiple times. If someone tries to remove it the will only get a piece and will be deterred. That'll show those tweakers.

3.) Easy, and clean sand pit for the kiddos.

Put a small tent in the yard and fill with sand. The tent provides shade, to close it up after play time to keep the neighbors cats out, and it prevents grass from growing through from the bottom!

4.) How to hang a painting using a fork

Dudes, this is amazing.

5.) Flip Flop Repair

Have you ever the strap of your flip flops pull through the sole while you were at the beach or something? It's pretty much the worst. Grab the bread out of the picnic basket and remove the square plastic bread tab. Push the flip flop strap back through the sole and then place the bread tab around it underneath the little nub at the end of the strap. This will keep it from pulling back through!

6.) Plastic Bag Storage

Because you have 10,000 plastic bags stuffed into a closet somewhere.

7.) Keep chips fresh using only the bag they came in.

Game changer. y’all!

POP QUIZ, HOT SHOT! WIN PRIZES!

It has occurred to me recently that I am answering a lot of questions and writing a lot of notices regarding things that are explained in the lease so I figured I would make a little quiz for you all to test your knowledge. The answer for each of these questions can be found in the lease that you signed so feel free to read it (please!) to find the correct answer. The first person to turn in a response with all correct answers will win some cool stuff. If you don't have a copy of your lease and would like one, let me know and I will send one out to you.

Let's get started.

1.) When does a guest become an unauthorized tenant?

2.) When is the rent late? What are the late fees?

3.)  How does one go about adding a pet to their lease?

4.) When can outdoor seasonal decorations go up? When must they come down?

5.) What are the rules regarding BBQs and fire pits?

6.) What kind of things can be stored on the deck/patio/outdoor areas?

7.) Are you required to pay a deposit on a pet turtle? Are you required to sign a pet agreement on a pet turtle?

8.) How soon after your dog defecates are you required to clean it up?

9.) Are you required to maintain a renter's insurance policy?

10.) How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Please submit your answers to austin@islandprovan.com by 7am this Friday (September 21st, 2018) to be eligible for prizes.

Here are the Prizes:

FINGER HANDS! For when a simple high five just wont do

THE TRIP GRIP! For those of us who refuse to make more than one trip when bringing in the groceries

NIC CAGE ON A PILLOWCASE! - Why Not?

Annual Inspections Why we do them, what we look for, and how to prepare.

It's almost time for annual inspections again which means we will be visiting every single unit and rifling through your drawers (kidding!) In reality we will be examining the entire property inside and out looking for needed repairs, tenant damages, and lease violations. To help you prepare for our visit and minimize the amount of time we spend in your home I have prepared a list of things we look for during an inspection.

The list of things is very long so I will only be mentioning the major ones. Essentially we examine every aspect of the property inside and out to make sure everything is in working order and to maintain curb appeal. We will also look around for lease violations like drug paraphernalia (including pot stuff), unauthorized pets/tenants, improper use, satanic ritual killings, failure to maintain landscaping, etc.  If you conduct your own inspection now and call us with anything you find that needs repairing, than we will be in and out and it will save everyone time.

OUTSIDE

Is the grass cut? (For those of you that are required to maintain your yard)

Is there garbage or debris in your yard?

Is all pet waste is picked up?

Are the covers on dryer vent?

Are there any rat holes in yard or signs of other pests?

Are there any hazardous or flammable materials improperly stored?

Is there a fire pit or charcoal BBQ?

Are exteriors faucets leaking?

Are the downspouts connected?

Are the gutters full?

Is there excessive moss on roofs?

Are there broken windows or screens?

Are the fences in good shape?

INSIDE

Any leaks from fixtures or the roof?

Are the appliances working?

What condition are the carpets in?

How does the paint look?

Are there any damages caused by tenant negligence or misuse?

Evidence of drug use or criminal behavior?

Excessive garbage?

Evidence or presence of unauthorized pets/tenants

Evidence of smoking inside?

Are the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors working?

Are their holes in the doors or walls?

Is the unit very dirty?

Are the blinds ok?

OK that turned out to be a long list anyways. Sorry. The point is we will be giving you a 48 hour intent to enter notice which should be enough time for you to pick up your dog poo so we don't have to give you notice. Isn't that nice of us?

Feel Good Friday

Look, I don't know if Mercury is Gatoraide, someone poisoned the water hole,  or we've just smoked far too much California but whatever the reason, y'all are going nuts out here and I need you to cool your jets. Breaking up with each other, fighting in the streets, crashing cars, and shouting at strangers online till a blood vessel pops is no way to live. Relax, turn off the news, stop freaking out on each other, things aren't actually as bad as some people would have you believe. 

This week I am doing the first ever Feel Good Friday edition from here at the Blog Cabin in an attempt to warm the icy cockles of your broken hearts. So sit down, shut up, and prepare to have your faith in humanity restored a little. Your welcome.

FIRST UP! Check out this thirsty squirrel just drinking deeply from the water bottle of human generosity.

Or how about this absolute ice legend, named Ivan, saving some stray from drowning. He ended up adopting it and naming it Rex.

 

This dog bro keeping his cat buddy out of trouble.

 

How about this spiderdude saving a dangle dog

Need more? Here is a good boi feeding his friends carrots!

Pickle, you want a belly rub?

Some bloke rescues a baby 'roo.

...There! Don't you feel better?  Let's close this out, here is a video of people being a different kind of awesome.