Poodlebugs

Happy Birthday!

2009-03-31T17:31:00.002-05:00

Today, our darling little boy is 2 years old! NOW can we act like a big boy?

So close

2009-03-08T18:03:00.004-05:00

And yet, so far away.

Boo has officially been pulled from competition until Fall. He has a nagging shoulder injury that he just can't seem to shake. The sad part, is that he was so close to getting his AXJ, needing only 2 q's. He and I had finally begun to click as a team, becoming more consistent. The courses this weekend were nice, flowy, open courses. Great for the big dogs. (Something that doesn't come around often.) On a brighter note, Hemi had a really great run in Jumpers with weaves on Saturday:

It was his 4th Q, and Gene decided to go ahead and move him up, before he got too used to only doing 6 weave poles. He's not doing standard yet, because we're still having some issues on the dogwalk and teeter. Kyra is now 1 Q away from her MX. She should have been able to get that leg this weekend. Saturday, Gene and Kyra were doing well, but Gene pulled her a little wide on the weaves, causing her to miss the entry. Sunday, he handed her off to me. In JWW, she was moving very slowly and with me losing my brain a couple of times on course, she didn't Q. In standard, poor girl spent the entire run wondering where her Dad was.

Of course, there's always another dogshow!

Here are the courses from this weekend.

Once, Twice, Three times a Q!!!!

2009-02-21T18:15:00.005-06:00

All 3 dogs got 1 Q today- not bad odds. First came Kyra- She was really slow, just barely making time for a whopping ZERO MACH points. However, she acted "off" all day, and Gene pulled her from standard because of it. Not sure what the problem was, but she did drop some major chalupa's (her 3rd set of the day) immediately after being pulled from the course. She is acting fine otherwise, so we're hoping it was just a tummy ache. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Following is her jumper's Q:

Boo's JWW run was good..until his Momma got lazy. We had made it through the hard parts, and I let my guard down. (And my dog). Pushed him out around a jump, and cost us the Q. On the up side, in standard, Momma was back on track. We managed to Q-- slightly over time, but being Excellent A, I'm allowed. That was his standard title. 2 more Q's for that jumper's title. Who'd a thunk I would have a standard title on ANY dog before a jumper's title? Tee Hee.

The last run of the day for us was Hemi in JWW. It started off a little rocky, but he finished strong. This is his run, and Q.

So, 3 good, solid Q's from today. Tomorrow is another chance to improve on that score. It's also the first chance for Boo, AND me to get our first MACH points... EVER!

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-02-20T16:03:00.004-06:00

Yes, it's my Birthday today. I am now 29.99 + tax. But, age aside, it has been a really good day. First, I got the following gift from my DH.

The book is one of a limited printed set that never went on sale- Stephen King simply gave them to his friends/important people. Why did Andrew sell his copy? Dunno- don't care!

At work, one of my lovely co-workers and CN's (Cubie Neighbor) spent 2 days making me this cake:

So, all in all, it's been a pretty nice Birthday! Another year behind me!

Happy Belayed Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T19:21:00.004-06:00

Kyra decided she couldn't be outdone, so decided that today she would offer Gene a double Q. Her JWW run:

And, her standard run:

So--out of 10 runs this weekend, we managed to pull out 5 Q's. 50% Not a bad haul for this couple. Hemi is slowly improving with each run. Once he gets his head together, he's going to be great!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T15:55:00.003-06:00

Agility competitors are a superstitious lot. I think this is true for most all athletes. You have lucky Q shirts that competitors will wear day after day after day. That lucky leash that your dog Q'd on for the first time. I would even bet that there's more than 1 pair of "lucky agility undies" out there.

I would guess I'm no different. Upon arriving at the arena this morning after a 1 hour drive, getting to the restroom facilities was a top priority for me. Inside, someone had decorated one of the stalls like this:

Weighing my options, and counting the number of heads waiting in line for the "lucky stall", I decided that the need to empty my bladder was more important than waiting on the magic toilet at this point, so I chose to use the only open stall at the time. The one at the far end. The one with the broken door that doesn't close all the way. The handicap stall.

Our first run was in JWW. Someone must have told Boo that it was Valentine's day. Since we all know how much Boo loves his Momma, he decided I needed something special. So, he focused and managed to pull out a JWW Q this morning with a first place! WAHOO!.

Subsequent trips to the lavatory brought with them a great quandry. Do I contnue to use my own, personal "lucky" stall, or do I risk it and use the club proclaimed "lucky stall". After much debate with myself (and more than a few odd looks), I decided to continue using my own personal "lucky stall".

In Standard, Boo managed to once again pull out a Q with a first place!

Poor Gene, there was no lucky stall in the men's room. Because of this, Kyra got 1 Q in JWW with a 3rd place, and Hemi took the "walk of shame" after the first 2 jumps.

I will have to watch closely tomorrow and keep Gene out of the ladies room!

First Day Back at Work

2009-02-02T17:20:00.004-06:00

Today was to be my first day back at work, having discussed the start with my boss nearly a month ago, I didn't expect any issues.. It should be an easy transition, since I have worked there before, and have been doing some "moonlighting" as well.

I decided I would start my work days at 7 am. While I am not a morning person, I hate afternoon traffic even more. It is much safer for all involved if I get up early and miss traffic driving home.

Being slightly OCD about being on time. (For anything) I arrived at the office at aprpoximately 6:45 am. I had already received an e-mail from my dear friend Vici telling me which lovely cubicle was reserved especially for me. I decide today is going to be a good day, since the doors are NOT locked when I arrive. (yeah!)

I locate said cubie with no problem. (Because I had been there before.) The desk contains a CPU, a Monitor, a phone, and desk chair. That's it. I look around, and notice a few desks that are empty (or at least appear to be) so my first mission is to pilfer (aka steal) supplies from these desks. This amounts to a trash can and broken tape dispenser.

6:49 am- unpack, and realize there is not a plug in for my alarm clock. Once again, pilfer through unused desks and *obtain* a power strip

6:59 am- turn on computer and attempt to sign on

7:00 am- realize that I do not have enough information to log onto the desk top

7:01 am- locate Team Leader (TL), and find out that boss is off that day. Inform TL of my sign on problem.

7:03 am- TL calls Computer Geek (CG) to tell her that I need a sign on. (CG is not in yet, so we wait.)

7:15 am- make a cup of hot tead and scour empty desks once again for supplies

7:20 am- realize I have a calendar in my car, and leave to retrieve it

7:30 am- hang calendar on cubie wall with the help of a push pin donated from fellow co-worker

7:35 am- inform friend and cubie neighbor (CN) that I am unable to sign on

7:40 am- Sign onto desktop with CN's sign on. (Thank you CN!)

7:40:39 am- Get to second screen of log in- and use my own- and wait

7:42 am- still stuck at screen #2

7:45 am- go to the bathroom- to waste time-

7:50 am- return to desk to find computer has timed out and is "locked"- requiring CN's password- again

7:51 am- still stuck on screen #2

8:00 am- attempt to call mother- get answering machine at all phone numbers

8:10 am- switch from ice tea to water

8:20 am- do some research, find out that it takes me EXACTLY three spins in the desk chair to get dizzy. Debate furthering research to see how many spins until I puke. Decide puking on your first day back is not acceptable

8:30 am- find out that private e-mail is blocked on work computer, but porn is not

8:31 am- find out that computer is too slow to download porn

8:35 am- start a grocery list

8:36 am- realize I don't need anything at the grocery store

8:45 am- call sister to inform her of the numerous job opportunities at the office

8:50 am- notice that someone has stolen the bulbs from my cubicle light fixtures

8:55 am- sign on the chat board, only to find new computer is also to slow to load it

9:00 am- discuss interesting radiology report with co-worker, and the pros and cons of coding on a post gender- reassignment surgical patient

9:12 am- discuss the need for a pre-break in order to make sure that break time is used to it's full capacity, and the draw-backs of not planning ahead

9:15 am- call Mom again, reach her this time. Discuss the finer points of my day up to now

9:30 am- TL comes by to check status of computer- still stuck on screen #2

9:45 am- TL comes by once again and advises me to go home until problem solved

9:46 am- leave CN a note, and drive home

So, 3 hours later, I had done exactly ZERO work. Here's hoping day 2 runs a little smoother!

Making a deal with the devil

2009-01-25T17:47:00.004-06:00

Agility addicts are such superstitious beings. You'll often here, "This is my lucky Q shirt!"

Anything that happens before, during or after a run can be taken into account. For instance, one might think, "I got a Q the last time I wore my blue silk undies". So, and agility addict might wear those same silk bloomers until it's effectiveness wears off.

Favorite shoes, leashes, socks, even treats.

One of these days- I'll find that magic pair of undies, or socks, or treats, so that the Q's will start rolling in! But, since I don't have that---I have my friends!

2009?????

2009-01-11T09:46:00.006-06:00

How is your 2009?

For me, so far, I have to say- not a big fan! If this continues, 2009 may go down in history for me as the year that I bought my vet a new Mercedes. (Or would she prefer a Hummer? Or a swimming pool? A house on the beach? Retirement?)

All of this started last year, near the end of October. Kyra had a cyst on her shoulder that was getting larger. Plus, she has had this little mole on her eyelid that, according to the vet, was a melanoma. Details of that surgery have already been chronicled, so I'll not bore you with further details of that. I will mention, however, that in doing the pre-anesthetic work-up, they did a urinalysis and came up with some *odd* results. They did an x-ray of her bladder, and an ultrasound. Both of which showed nothing. They went ahead with the surgery but wanted to check the urine again. That was done shortly before Christmas, and was still off. Because it was not normal, the vet wanted to recheck one more time.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where all this shit started. (bad pun- you'll get it later. Just go with me, I'm sleep deprived!)

Hershey was due for shots, but I had decided that with her age, I would prefer to do titers. I had previously discussed this with the vet, and we had both agreed that this was a valid course of action.

We also noticed that Hemi has what appears to be a cavity on his tooth.

This past week, Hershey went from drinking like a camel to drinking like a fish- which resulted in potty runs every 2-3 hours. Regardless of time of day or night.

Off to the vet we go, knowing that this drastic of a change can be serious. After tests, it was determined that Hershey was not diabetic (yeah!) and was not in kidney failure (yeah!), so that only leaves cushing's disease. However, in order to diagnose that, we'll be reguired to perform yet another pricey test.

Meanwhile, it's time for Boo's shots. Since we travel to so many dog shows, we really try to keep their vaccinations up to date. We set a date for this past Friday and take in Boo for his vaccinations, Hemi to have his tooth checked, and a urine sample from Kyra for a final recheck.

We had noticed a tapeworm in Boo over Christmas and had treated with an over the counter wormer, and are instructed by our vet that we had wasted our money, so she gave us something else to treat him with. But, other than that, Boo seems to be healthy. (Knocks on rather large piece of solid wood.)

The vet was unsure whether or not Hemi had a cavity, and said it can only be diagnosed positively with a dental x-ray, and that he does need a cleaning on his back teeth. She refers us to a specailist for this. (oh, goodie!)

The urinalysis on Kyra comes back. She has more debris in her urine than urine. She has crystals, red blood cells, white blood cells, epithelial cells and her pH was too high. The vet thinks she is trying to develop bladder stones, and would like to get another ultrasound of her bladder. She also mentioned she would like to change Kyra's diet. When I began to cry and throw myself on the floor, she decided it was okay, we wouldn't have to do that. (I have finally found a dog food she can tolerate. I refuse to change it now!)

Friday night, Hemi begins to pace. Knowing that he has no off switch, and if he isn't ready to go to bed, he can be a pest, we tell him to lay down and go to sleep. I awaken at midnight to the lovely aroma of diarrhea. Poor Hemi had to go out. And then again at 3. And then again at 5:30. This continued throughout the day on Saturday, being reduced to only a few drops of liquid, since the poor fellow got no food.

We decide to make an entrance at our agility club's holiday party, but don't stay long. Between Hershey requiring a bladder void every 4 hours, and Hemi requiring a bowl evacuation every 2-4 hours, we weren't sure what we'd come home to if we left early, much less if we stayed for the entire party.

We get home, and everyone seems to be doing well. For a couple of hours at least. Then, Hemi begins to vomit. Since he refused all food, even treats, all that came up was water. He also began to pant and belch. Off to the emergency vet we go.

3 hours later, we leave with a handful of drugs and a CD with x-rays on it. These to be exact. (And, for the price we paid for the x-rays, they should be rimmed in solid gold!)

After a fecal test, bloodwork, x-rays, and a bout of bloody diarrhea in the back, the vet decided that Hemi has giardia. He got several injections and oral medications to help calm his tummy. We get home, feeling better and more confident. Let all the dogs out, and Kyra now has diarrhea.

Gene calls the emergency vet about getting medication to treat Kyra, since we were told how contagious giardia is. We were told they would not do that without seeing her. Oh, yeah. Another $700?

I've had enough of 2009. I'm done. Anyone with me?

Now, excuse me while I go steam clean my carpets.

Success, Silliness, and Second chances

2009-01-04T19:03:00.008-06:00

This weekend, Hemi and Boo were both entered in obedience and/or Rally. Glen Rose is a large show that has conformation and obedience. Boo did Rally on Saturday (which Gene failed to tape) But, we did manage to get a Q out of it. Which, is nice, since one of the stations called for a "back up three steps". a move I have not taught him yet. Because of that, I'll take my green ribbon, and my sucky score. Hemi did Rally on Saturday. Gene looked at the course, mumbled something under his breath about "he's never even done that before" and took Hemi off to the side to teach him 3or 4 of the signs. Both dogs Q'd, but it was certainly nothing to write home about. The best part, is that the AKC doesn't put the scores on the title certifications. Today, we went out and had a few, bobbles, so to speak:

Check for yourself:

I will spare you the rest of the performance. After we slunk out of the ring, a steward came up and told us there was a problem with the score sheet, and we needed to re-run. Since we were going to get a new score, too, I decided to go for it. Maybe *I* could remember how to do the stations this time.

Boo's second shot at Rally:

That run gave us a 93 out of a possible 100, and his 2nd Q in Excellent Rally!

Novice was full yesterday, but Gene was able to enter Hemi in Novice B today. His bright spot is, by far, his recall:

Considering the fact that we still haven't found a good place to train, and the amount of practice in obedience has been somewhat slim, his heeling didn't seem to be too bad:

With his Q, Hemi received his Novice Title, he is now:
U. Ch. Tintlet Grab Life by the horns, CD.

I also saw the first corded poodle I've ever seen in the flesh:

Both dogs were also CERF'd on Saturday, and were clear.

All in all, it was a nice weekend! Until we find a place to train obedience, it may be a while before we enter another obedience trial.

A Christmas Holiday

2008-12-25T20:56:00.000-06:00

I realized over this holiday, that sometimes there are traditions that we don't realize are traditions, until they aren't there anymore. That realization hit me several times this year.

The first such incidence was at the Candlelight service Christmas Eve at my parent's church, the church I grew up in. It had always been standard that, during the candle lighting ceremony, the congregation would sing "Silent Night". It has been very much a part of my Christmas. This year, the new music director at the casual service decided that he had another song he preferred. A song I didn't recognize. There was much grumbling amongst the congregation, myself included. A Christmas tradition by the way-side.

Another such instance occurred when I arrived at my mother's house. I mentioned the cookies and party mix that she always made for us. Mom greeted me with a suprise look and a comment on how she didn't make cookies or party mix for the kids this year. Needless to say, I didn't believe her. After much whining (and crying and a small temper tantrum that any 3 year old would have been proud of) Mom produced the usual bags of cookies and party mix. However, I realized that this was another one of those unspoken Christmas traditions.

There are other traditions that we know about, that we discuss openly. Virtually every year, once presents are open, Mom looks around, surveys the damage, and then will ask someone if we got a specific present. It is at this point that Mom realizes that she has forgotten to wrap someone's present. This year, it was some Petit Jean bacon, something we can't get locally.

Another such tradition is when Mom watches someone open a gift and utters the phrase, "There's a story behind that". This year, it was Dad's "Mental Memory" gift. Since all of Dad's gifts (or most of them) seemed to pertain to memory of some sort- the computer, blackberry, etc., This was Dad's *mental memory* gift.

One of Mom's *gag* gifts this year, was the present she received from Hemi and Boo. Pictured here, you can tell from Mom's face she was quite pleased with their gift of choice.

There is also the fairly new tradition where Dad "picks" on one of the dogs. This year was Hemi's turn. (But, let's face it. Hemi's a pest and deserves every bit of picking he gets!)

Of course there is always the tradition of placing a bow ontop of one (or more) of the dogs' noggins during the present opening ceremony. Such as these 2 from this year:

One Christmas tradition that I'm sure is common in most families, is the pre-lunch nap.

And then, invariably, someone has a little too much to drink:

In the end, being with family is about renewing old bonds:

No matter how old I get, some things just never change. Kyra will ALWAYS beg for food:

The table will always be festive:

And there will always be that photo that is worth a thousand words:

All in all, it was a lovely Christmas. The dogs are worn out, and haven't moved from the assigned places on the floor since arriving home. There are more photos to share. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed being there and taking them!

Group shot of the puppies:

Hemi's favrotie spot at Grandma's:

Another group shot:

I hope you all had a ver MERRY Christmas!

A Merry Christmas Massacre

2008-12-19T12:36:00.000-06:00

I thought I should blog about a horrible, scary trend I've been seeing around my neighborhood. It seems that people are getting these big blow up lawn ornaments. You've seen them, Santa, a penguin, reindeer. Lots of hot air, and a bulb inside.

Imagine, however, being a small child. You see Santa in your neighbor's yard, all blown up. Then, the next morning, you go outside to catch the bus, and you see this:

Or this:

Or this:

That has got to be traumatic, don't you think? It looks like there has been a Christmas Massacre!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Trolls to youuuuu!

2008-12-16T19:12:00.000-06:00

So, over a year ago, I got hooked on something called "Yahoo! Answers"

http://answers.yahoo.com/

***WARNING! Signing up for this free website is addicting, humbling, and maddening. The level of maturity shown in the question are enough to drive any normal human insane. Enter at your OWN risk***

This site is full of teenagers (must be 13 to join) and numerous adults that ACT like teenagers. If you hang around for long, the trolls will find you.

Some trolls are sometimes teenagers with nothing better to do during summer break, and ask inflammatory questions like "Is it normal to have sex with my dog" just to see if they can reaction out of you.

The more disturbing type of troll, is one that has disagreed with you because of a piece of advice you have given them, and decide that they will destroy you no matter what. These insane people have been known to create an account with your name and picture on it, and go around pretending they are you. They will also search through questions and answers you have asked or answered, and report them in an attempt to have your account suspended.

I was the target of such a troll today. Actually, it's quite flattering to think that I am that important to someone that they devote so much time to me. I have never before had a stalker. If my stalker/troll should find their way here, please give greet them warmly. For, their life is so sad and meaningless, that they must pick on others in order to make them feel good about themselves.

So, Merry Christmas Trolls!

A day in the life of Hemi

2008-12-14T19:10:00.000-06:00

He hasn't been to agility class since 2 weeks before Thanksgiving due to a variety of things. We had BETTER have class Wednesday, or I'm going to cut the lock on the gate, take him up to her door, and beat on her door until she comes out and HAS class with us. Why? Here was a recap of mine and Hemi's morning:

Gene leaves, and Hemi is standing over me. Staring at me. Waiting for me to get up. I get up, and of course all of the dogs are happy. Hemi shows his delight by grabbing Boo's leg and tugging on it. "Hemi, no!" So, He jumps on Hershey. "Hemi, no!" He rolls Kyra "HEMI NO!" He stops and looks at me, his head cocked slightly to the right in a "what did I do" type look. (If you own a dog, you KNOW the look I'm talking about!)

So, I move groggily to the couch and turn on my computer. Hershey is laying on the floor, Kyra on her black pillow, and Boo on the couch next to me. Hemi? He comes out of the bedroom with a sock. His prize. "Hemi, no!" and I take the sock away. He trots into the kitchen, and then into the dining room where the crates are. He make an investigative sweep of both crates, just in case Kyra (the canine hoover) missed any crumbs. (Which, has not happened in the nearly 2 years of his life, not sure WHY he would think it would happen now!). Trots back to the living room, and disappears into the bedroom. Emerges from the bedroom with the partner to the first sock he brought to me. "Hemi, no!" and I take the sock away from him.

Boo begins to beg to go outside, so I let Hershey, Hemi and Boo all outside. Hemi begins to scream and chase the other 2 as they scatter like roaches to get away from him. The older dogs try to find their spot to potty. Every time they stop, Hemi hits them at full speed, pushing them out of the way. My backyard sounds like there is a dogfight going on. I open the door to look out, and what do I see? Hemi is running in circles in the back yard. As fast as his little legs will take him. Around and around and around and around. (reminds me of the last 10 laps of the Daytona 500). The older dogs are trying to position themselves behind trees and the corner of the house in order to protect themselves from the silver bullet.

Once they've had enough, I can see Boo begging me to let him in. I open the back door and he darts for the door, only to receive a body block by Hemi, nearly rolling both of them. They manage to both scramble into the house. Hershey gives me a look of relief, as she wanders off to finish her pottying in peace.

Once inside, Boo curls up on the couch next to me. Home base. He's safe from the PEST. Hemi begins to trot through the kitchen, through the dining room, up the hallway, into the living room, a loop around the coffee table, and then back to the kitchen. I sit on the couch thinking to myself. "Here he comes. There he goes. Here he comes. There he goes". After about 6 or 7 laps (I lost count). He goes to the water bowl, gets a drink of water, and then takes the long way back to the living room and up on the couch. Settling in for a long winter's nap. (FINALLY!)

So..if Pamela tries to cancel classes tomorrow night. I might just cut the lock on the gate and leave Hemi in her yard!

Living with Kyra

2008-12-01T20:31:00.000-06:00

For those who know Kyra, you know how she loves her food. She has gotten into more trouble than I could ever have imagined. From Kyra, the things we have learned are:

1.) ant bait of any kind is not toxic to dogs.
2.) aluminum foil does not fluoresce on an x-ray
3.) pot pourri does not change color in the intestinal tract. (It does, however, lose it's fruity smell)
4.) silk flowers also do not lose their color in the digestive tract.
5.) dogs don't digest caramel, or candy wrappers. If a dog swallows a snack-sized snickers bar whole, the peanuts and chocolate will digest, the wrapper and the caramel will be regurgitated some days later. Whole. No teeth marks. No fading of the wrapper.

I came across another dog on the internet that could give Kyra a run for her money! It's one of the funniest stories I have ever read. For those who don't know Kyra, read this story, and imagine this dog being a big brown poodle,and Voila'- you now know what it's like to live with Kyra!

http://littera-abactor.livejournal.com/7748.html

A Dog's Life

2008-11-24T08:55:00.000-06:00

You always hear about living "A dog's life", like it's a BAD thing. So, I got to thinking about it. How bad, really, IS a dog's life? Let's take a tour of Kyra's normal daily routine, shall we?

Wake up early in the morning to pee. Okay, not a great start. I'll give you that one. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am NOT a morning person! Let's move on, shall we?

Next is breakfast. Granted, it's the same old thing, but it's nutritious, a controlled portion, and the best part, is that you don't have to cook!

After another outdoor run, okay if it's raining or cold, I can see that being bad. However, a bathroom you never have to clean? SCORE!

Back inside, stretch out on the couch and take a LONG nap. (Oh, about 4 or 5 hours) I think that more than makes up for getting up early, don't you?

If the humans are leaving, into a crate, on a soft cushion, to await their return. If not, sleep on the couch all day. Either way, SLEEP. Not a bad deal.

Then, wake up, potty outside again (remember, no cleaning!) and then dinner is served. Of course, it's the same thing served for breakfast, but once again, no cooking.

Spend the rest of the evening stretched out on the couch, sleeping, and then one more trip outside to potty before bedtime.

Occassionally there is the fitness training (aka agility) but that is always followed with yet more food. Good stuff, not the pre-packaged kibble.

Let's not forget the time sitting in Dad's lap!

On the down side- there is this hideous outfit she had to wear to keep her from scratching her incision!

I guess I don't see the hard ships of a dog's life. Eat, Sleep, and do Agility. THAT is my goal in life!

Hemi has 4 official Q's!

2008-11-16T20:02:00.000-06:00

Hemi has 1 USDAA Jumpers Q, an ASCA Jumpers Q, an AKC Jumpers Q, and an AKC FAST Q. Unfortunately, I've only got 1 of the Q's on video. I'm sure you see the pattern here! This Video is from Hemi's JWW run with Gene today. He is so much fun to run! I see great things for his future. See if you agree!

Patti Goes Domestic!

2008-10-28T19:37:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's scary, I know, but I decided to get domestic. We had a ton of old T-shirts lying around that didn't fit, or we didn't wear anymore. Not wanting to just toss these shirts out, I put on my thinking cap.

Since we are going to an agility trial this weekend, and it's going to be kinda cold, I decided the dogs needed some better crate pads than what we've got. I dug through the closet and pulled out a handful of shits, and started cutting them up.

Next, I went to to youtube and found this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm83zA5-Yyk

An hour later, I was ready to start sewing.

I pieced together squares that were either like in theme, or in color. I used some fleece as a backing.

Here's the final product

How to choose a table in a busy restaraunt

2008-10-13T15:09:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me well, know how much I LOVE children. Especially ill-behaved ones that are seated directly behind me during meal time, screaming and kicking the back of my chair. Because of the fact that too much of a good thing is bad, I must make efforts to limit my exposure to such things.

The first step is to survey the area well, making note of all the available tables. It is also necessary to evaluate the tables that are occupied, not only for the general make-up of the guests seated there, but also to estimate the time remaining on their stay.

Open tables must be examined for their value to mothers, especially of young children. Things to take into account are:
1.) Proximity to the bathroom. (young children, I've noticed, pee a lot!)
2.) Proximity to the soda machine. ***this one can be tricky, as some parents will want to be close to the machines, so they can send the kids up for their own refills. Yet others want to be far away from the machines, to keep the children from demanding Coke, when Mom prefers they drink Sprite. Choosing a table between the two extremes is vital.
3.) Ease of use with a high-chair as well as distance from where the high-chair is kept. Parents tend to prefer ailes where the high-chair will be in the way to servers, rather than in corners where the would be unobtrusive.
4.) Booths or tables- booths tend to have a higher value for the parents' ability to pin the child in between themselves and the wall.

When evaluating the occupied tables, you must take into account whether or not their food has arrived, are the consuming alcohol, and if it's a larger group.

All of these are variables in a complex mathematical equation that produces the probability of being seated next to a screaming child, and must be computed within a matter of seconds and without use of a calculator.

Needless to say, I haven't yet perfected the math!

Things I learned Playing Racquetball

2008-10-10T15:34:00.000-05:00

When Gene and I were in college, approximately 3498572683 years ago, we used to play racquetball in the evenings before dinner. Since we recently joined a gym, we decided to give it a shot, since we enjoyed it so much in our younger years.

I realized one thing rather quickly:
We suck!

Among other things I learned:
1.) I don't have to worry about the strings on my racquet breaking, because in order for old strings on a racquet to break- it requires something actually making contact with the strings... (like, oh, say, THE BALL!)
2.) The ball does not come to you. You have to actually move around to get close to it.
3.) The plexi-glass on the wall the door is on is NOT your friend
4.) 10 minutes in a racquetball court for us is more exhausting than an hour on a treadmill
5.) Children will laugh out loud at old people attempting to play racquetball.
6.) *playing* racquetball is all relative. Let's just say that there was no sense in either of us keeping score and leave it at that.
7.) Your own husband WILL laugh at you when you swing and hit dead air.
8.) When the ball hits you in the back of the head, it really hurts! (But, you do NOT see stars like the cartoons say you do!)

Needless to say, we need lots of practice to get back to our college days skill level! (Maybe I'll stick with hanging out in the hot tub! Hard to get injured that way!)

For the first time EVER!

2008-10-06T16:09:00.000-05:00

I started wearing glasses at a young age. In my early teens. As I entered High School, Dad and I went to the eye doctor together to get contacts. As I aged, I found my eyes become less tolerant to the contacts.

when I turned 35, I was told I needed bi-focals. This made wearing contacts even more difficult. When we started obedience and agility, my glasses seemed to just get in the way.

On July 12th, I underwent Laser surgery to correct my vision. While the healing process was slow, the results have been amazing.

Sunday night, October 5, 2008, I experienced something I haven't in many, many years. I was able to swim, without worry of being able to see where I was going, and what was around me.

It has been such a liberating experience!

U. Ch. Tintlet Grab Life By The Horns

2008-09-28T19:41:00.000-05:00

U. Ch. Tintlet Grab Life By The Horns, aka "Hemi"

Hemi finished his championship this weekend in GRAND fashion. Beating out a newly finished AKC champion, and taking a group 1, 2, and 3. He showed very well this weekend, and looked GREAT! (Thanks, Wendy!) After coming home from the show, we went out to take a few photos! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Look at that handsome boy! The sunlight just glistens off his silver hair!

Looking at Daddy

I love this one---he looks so studious and smart! And then, what day of photos is complete without the obligatory agility photo?

Yeah, Hemi! I'm so proud of you AND Gene!

It's been awhile!

2008-09-27T00:20:00.000-05:00

Hemi heads to Denton this weekend in search of his last 2 competition wins for his UKC Championship. In preparation, a friend of Gloria's offered to help get him groomed into a better looking cut than Gene had him in previously. Gene has done wonders in learning so much about poodle grooming in a short period of time, but he will be the first to admit that he is no professional. So, we took her up on that offer.
We let as much hair grow as possible. (Man, I hate growing poodle hair! Almost as much as I hate liver and onions!) Here are some before photos:

Many hours later, Hemi emerges a new man, er, dog. He doesn't even resemble the beast she took in.

I can't help it, I love the Pippi Longstocking look he's sporting here!

So, here's hoping that the haircut will accentuate the positive and get Hemi those last 2 wins over competition so he may join his big brother Boo as a UKC Champion!

Tune in Monday for the results!

Hemi's subtle statement about the teeter

2008-08-20T20:20:00.000-05:00

Don't let anyone tell you that poodles aren't smart, because I have proof. Hemi has had some issues with the teeter, which is not too surprising since he's just started it. Well, our instructor sent us home with her adjustable teeter to get some extra work in. I don't know why, but I think Hemi is trying to communicate something to us about the teeter. What do you think? I offer up these photos for your consideration:

So, really, what do you think? Do you think he's trying to tell us something?

Man, I love my poodles!

How to Give Boo a pill!

2008-08-18T10:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, so rain is FINALLY moving in, and Boo just really stresses out over thunder way too much. When discussing this issue with the vet, she suggested the over the counter stuff first. Great- chewable pills---easy, right? WRONG!

So, I look at the radar this morning and see storms off to the west. To try and make sure that the pills have time to work, I head to the kitchen to give Boo his pills. I try, at first, to hand him the pill- hoping that it will smell like a yummy piece of steak and take it! He sniffs said pill, and turns his head to the side. Shunning the treat offered him. (Which, honestly, I expected.)

So, I dig in the refrigerator for something Boo will eat. He won't touch cheese, or bread, or anything starchy. I finally spy the left over pepperoni. Hooray! Meat! Right up Boo's alley!

I break the pill in half and wrap it in a piece of the pepperoni and hand it to him. He sniffs the pepperoni, and turns his head to the side. Great! Well, he's too smart.

He knows he's being set up. So I decide to take a different tactic. I get a piece of pepperoni without anything to "taint" it and tear off a piece and offer it to him. He pulls his lips back and takes the piece of meat between his teeth and spits it on the floor, sniffs it, then decides it's okay and eats it. To further entrench that it is not a trick, I give him another untainted piece. This piece is gobbled up more readily than the first. Thinking I have him fooled, I hand him the piece with the pill in it. One sniff, and the nose goes in the air.

We stare at each other- me trying to convince him through osmosis that the pill is REALLY good. I can see by the look in his eyes that he is NOT buying it. I do, of course, have 3 other poodles surrounding me that are more than eager to take the meat, the pill or both.

I decide that we've had enough pussy footing around, and decide to go with brute force. I wrenched his mouth open and insert pepperoni wrapped pill onto his tongue and then hold his mouth shut. We lock eyes again- competitors in an epic battle of wills. I pull out all my tricks, rubbing his neck and blowing in his nose. All this is supposedly supposed to make the dog swallow. All it does in this case is make him mad. He appears to swallow, and thinking I had won, I loosen my grip. I am rewarded by the wet and soggy pill landing on the top of my bald foot. The pepperoni, however, found it's way into Boo's gullet.

Another brief session of attempted osmosis gets me nowhere. As a last ditch effort, I put a few pieces of kibble in his bowl and crush the pill into a powder and sprinkle on top of the food. I find some chicken broth and coat the whole mixture.

Giving in to my persistence, Boo nibbles delicately on the mixture, taking frequent breaks to give me that look that says, "don't fall asleep, bitch!"

Now, we can only hope that after all this, the pills will work!