I had a ton of fun the past couple of days!

On Christmas Eve, we delivered a treadmill to my Dad's house (his big present) and then headed over to my Aunt's for our annual Xmas Eve party. It's a tradition for our extended family to get together, eat, talk, and exchange presents on Xmas Eve. Not all of our cousins make it anymore, but there still are a few of us that refuse to give it up. :)

Christmas morning, I headed over to Sue & Chris's house to open presents with them. There were some..... interesting..... gifts given out that I won't mention here. ;) Sue would just die. But we had a good time having Aunty K with us this year. I got this awesome purple leather purse - me to tee. After that, I came home and let the kids open their gifts. I do have pictures but they're still on the camera - I'll post them shortly. I made coffee and watched a few episodes of Kung Fu before heading over to Dad's house.

I brought Millie with me to Dad's. Betsy got a cold cut platter (we're not into the Xmas dinner thing), and we opened gifts. Cal got an iPod Bose docking station, Keith got a trip to see Nick, I got help with my car & some cool gift certificates. We had a great time hanging out, listening to Xmas music. Oh! Keith got me a ticket to see Billy Joel when he comes to Boston in April! I never knew he was a fan and he caught me totally off guard with that one. All in all, it was a great afternoon. :)

After that, I went home and let the dogs out before heading over to my cousin Tina's for a night filled with loud, obnoxious card games. I did very well with Pokeno - I think I made 10 bucks but then lost my winnings in Texas Hold-em. It's much easier to watch it on TV and know what to do. :) Next time I'll have to bring Keith as my partner since he knows what he's doing. :) I think I got home around 1:30 or 2:00 am - very late for me indeed!

On Monday I headed down to Glen & Elissa's to hang out and exchange gifts with them. Zeke *loved* my gifts of a drum and a toy drill that works. :) I'm not so sure that Glen & Elissa did as the drum is now high up on a shelf. ;) Later, Colleen, Chuck, and Nathan stopped by to hand out. We had a great time catching up. Colleen is now engaged and is planning for the wedding (up here) in September. Can't wait for that party!

I was supposed to pick up my new car on Tuesday, but they found a problem while it was being certified and had to order a part for it. The part came in and Chuck picked me up Wed. morning to go and get it. I have my new car! Yay! And, everything works! lol I think it'll take a while getting used to, but I'm so happy to be mobile again (one day without a car is enough thank you), and I'm totally loving the Honda.

I do have to bring it back down to Weymouth to get one of the storage covers fixed and to get a sticker. We'll do lunch while I'm waiting. :) All in all, I'm very happy. :)

I have no idea what I'm doing on New Years Eve. I'm generally not a huge NYE party person, but I think I might head out this time. ;) We'll see what happens!!

D

Feeling Thankful...

I'm sitting here, in work, thinking of everything that will happen over the next couple of days. Like always, I also started thinking of the other side of the coin. Thoughts like that humble me and make me thankful for what I have and what I have achieved. Thinking of the other side of the coin makes me want to be a better person; help more people, do more stuff, benefit humanity instead of wasting my life away with trivial, inconsequential things.

So I thought I'd write down some of the thoughts I had; maybe make someone else think too.

- I'm thankful that, although I have health issues, I can walk, talk, listen, hold, taste, smell, and love.

- I'm thankful that my loved ones are local and around me. I can't imagine what it's like to be a military mom or dad - sitting in some other country while your kids are opening presents on Christmas Day. How heartbreaking that must be.

- I'm very thankful for the military personnel who make my freedoms as precious as they are.

- I'm thankful I have a place to live, a pot roast in the crockpot, a job to pay the bills, and the knowledge that I'm luckier than 2/3rds of the world because of those 3 simple items.

- I'm thankful that I get to spend another holiday season with my grandparents. My grandmother can't hear or see very well, but she can clearly hear my feelings for her through my hugs.

Perception is key in all things, and these thoughts are based on mine.

D

It's all coming together....

There's more to buying a car than just walking into a dealership and giving them thousands of dollars. Especially when you're also dealing with the Insurance Co. for the wrecked car and there's a major holiday a scant week (now 3 days) away. Timing is everything, or so I'm realizing. Financing is set so I don't have to worry about that right now, but I do need the check from the wreck (ha!) before I can pay taxes, registration, extended warranty, etc., etc.

But I think it's finally coming together. I get the check tomorrow, that's done. The title is literally in the mail and we're just waiting for it to arrive at the dealership (it should've been there last week.) So, as long as it comes in today or tomorrow, I can pick up the car Saturday morning. If not, well, then I'll be walking to work after Monday. :) I think it's only like 30 miles or whatever... piece of cake!

Normally I'd be able to switch the plates and call it a day for a bit, but I only have one of the plates left. The other was disintegrated in the accident and it's against the law to not have 2 red plates. The things you learn.....

So here's to hoping with my fingers crossed that the title comes in tomorrow before 1pm and the bank is still physically there so I can pick up the new car on Saturday. :)

D

Yippeee!

I found, fell in love with, and bought a car today. :) It's 2 years old, blue, and beautiful! I got a great deal from a very cute salesman and couldn't be happier right now. Earlier today was probably the most stressed I've been in a long time, but I'm over it now. Hopefully I'll pick up my new Honda right after the holiday! :)

What a wonderful Solstice gift!

D

Is Christmas a good time to buy a car?

So I'm looking all over the place now - trying to decide what year and model to get. Thankfully the financing was settled today and all I have to do is pick one out. I think I'm going to head down to see Chuck (a friend of a friend), who works at a Honda Dealership. I'm pretty sure I've settled on the Odyssey, as the Toyota's are even more expensive. Some salesman today tried talking me into leasing a car. I just don't know enough about it to even consider it, coupled with the fact that Christmas is 6 days away and I have limited time to buy a car. I've done a bunch of research but that doesn't make me an expert in any sense of the word.

Sue and I had a great time baking cookies yesterday - all 10 hours of it! But, they were a big success today so it was well worth it. Next time we'll just have to do the decorating the next day as we were both so tired by the end that the iced ones didn't look as nice as they could have. ;)

I've been talking more to that guy and I'm not sure it's going to go anywhere. He's a little too needy and is rabidly jealous of anyone's good fortune. I guess those are petty things to not like about someone but I'm generally a happy, upbeat person so I really don't want to be with anyone that will bring me down. Like always, we'll see what happens.

The dogs are happy to have me home after a crazy busy weekend. I plan on cuddling with them on the couch for the remainder of the night. :) Tomorrow night is our last week of training until the 5th of Jan (I think.) It'll be good to have training and school off for a while. :)

I think I'm all prepared for the holiday: Presents - check. Wrapping - check. Knowing when to go where - check. It should be a great weekend :)

D

I used to like wrapping gifts....

..now, not so much.

I've been wrapping gifts for (what feels like) 400 hours and I'm *done* with it! I have 4 presents left to wrap and I don't wanna. 4 won't seem so daunting tomorrow, so that's when I'm putting it off until. Crap. I just remembered I have to wrap the dogs gifts too. If you haven't seen a dog unwrap their own present, well, you're just not living life to the fullest. I'll see if I can capture it on Xmas morning and post them up here.

This weekend is crazy busy as I have a home coming to look at Roxie at 10am, then I'm heading down to Ellin's for the rest of the day, and probably most of the night. Sunday, Sue & I are on for Bakingfest 2005. I think we have something like 8 or 9 different kinds of cookies that we're planning on. We'll see how many of them we actually make with the eggnog flowing.

On a lighter note, I've been talking to that silver lining I mentioned the other day and we're getting along wonderfully. It's funny how when it rains, it pours as the guy from the Honda dealership was hitting on me. The kicker was when I asked if he would come with me to help me buy a car if I decided not to get a Honda - he said Yes. So we'll see where that goes as well. :)

Maybe my luck is turning around?? Hmmmm....

D

Crash! :(

What a freakin' week! I can't believe it's only Tuesday. :(

So I got into a car accident as I was pulling out of the mechanics after having $200+ worth of work done. A car had stopped to let me go and when I checked for traffic, it was clear. However, a person came driving up on the other side of the person that let me go and slammed into me. Everything before the radiator is gone and I wasn't able to open the passenger side door. It's a wreck. Thankfully the only thing I have to physically show for it is the egg-sized lump on my head. Ugh. I think I'm going to be in need of a long, hot bath tomorrow.

I just finished my final project for my class - with 10 mins. to spare. I probably would've had more time if I had gotten home 3 hours prior. :(

But, there's always a silver lining. We'll see if the person I met today (from the accident, no less - but not the cause) turns into it. :)

D

Winter Wonderland....

Today we got over a foot of snow. While that may sound nice (especially to my insane, snow-loving friend in Australia...), it wasn't as nice driving in it. I figured I would go into work today and leave early if I had to. Well, I had to. Unfortunately my timing was waaaaay off as my 30 min. commute took 1 hour 45 minutes. I don't think I got above 25mph on the highways. Thankfully my wonderful neighbor with the huge snowblower came to dig me out. The pile that the plow left at the end of the driveway was literally 4ft tall.

My sympathies went out to an acquaintance that drives for a living. How miserable he must have been today! Hopefully he didn't have any trouble and is safe.

Not surprisingly, only 2 of my dogs went out to play in the yard, as you can see. What you can't really see is that Freddie is in full jump mode right then. He needs Millie to break a path for him as it's taller than he is. :) He looks like a deer when he does that. :)

This weekend is pretty busy as I have two people coming over tomorrow to look at Charlie & Roxie. I also have a Xmas party to go to on Sat. night. Then I have flyball practice Sunday AM (ugh), and also plan on heading into Boston to the dog show. They have such unique gifts there so I might splurge and get myself a little somethin'-somethin'. Gerilyn, Karen, & Donna are all showing in Agility as well and I want to see them run if possible. I think there's something else I have to do but I can't remember what it is.

But, right now I have to go relax with the pups!!

D

Almost done Xmas shopping :-D

Well, not surprisingly, I didn't get much cleaning done at all this weekend. I did finish decorating the tree, got all my wrapping stuff together, did a bit more shopping, and, as you can see from above, got the kids holiday pictures taken and created our annual Xmas picture that goes into the cards. If you click on the picture you can see a much larger version. :) Oh, and I changed Payton's name to Pacie - to keep with the "ie" theme I have going on with the other kids. :)

I went out shopping on Saturday afternoon and BOY was it crazy! I will not do any more shopping on weekends until after the holidays are over. I almost got hit 3 different times from people cutting me off and not realizing my car was occupying the space they wanted to use. I went to the Christmas Tree Shop for a few things and that was beyond horrible. I was in a good mood when I left the house but was in such a foul mood when I got home. I was only gone for 2 hours!! I can't stand that people no longer have any consideration at all for anyone else. I can't even believe that people are as rude as they are. It's really just so sad.

Ah well, it's past my bedtime so I'm off to read for a bit before I pass out. :)

D

Wow I'm up late!

Sue, Chris, Aunty K, & I went to the Festival of Trees tonight. It's alway so impressive, but this year's batch was even more so. Unfortunately, because we procrastinated in going until the last night, the place was *packed*! So, we only stayed for 20 mins or so because of how crazy it was. Next year we're going to go much earlier. :)

After that, we dropped Aunty K off and headed over to Chunky's in Pelham to see the new Harry Potter movie! I think it was really good, definitely worth seeing, but I noticed that they left a ton of stuff out and strayed from the book more this time than in any other movie. I had to explain a lot to my cousin & her husband on why things happened as they did and the meaning behind some other stuff.

I have two potential homes interested in Roxie and Ceasar. I'm hoping I can make plans over the weekend with both of them so they can meet their potential adoptive dogs. :)

Tomorrow I have homework to do, some shopping, and a ton of cleaning. I want to watch Charlie & the Chocolate Factory again - just to see the expressions that Johnny Depp pulls off - he's brilliant! Oh, and he wasn't in Pirates of the Caribbean? MY!, did he look nice in that one!

Off to bed. I can't believe how late it is! Maybe I'll dream of Johnny Depp. ;)

D

busy, crazy, hectic, busy!

Well, what else can you expect when your Monday starts with car trouble? :) I've been insanely busy since Turkey day, which was great AND we didn't even burn the house down! We cooked TWO turkeys (my Dad brought a backup just in case we torched the first one) in the turkey fryer in 1/4 of the time it would've taken to cook one of them in the oven. We all left with leftovers (Dad got 8lbs of mashed potatoes - not even kidding...) and a fun time was had by all. Millie got to play with T-Gray all day and then got the turkey neck for breakfast to boot!

Sue, Aunty K, & I got some shopping out of the way over the weekend. I think I only have 6 people left to buy for and then I'm done. :) It's such a great feeling. :) I've had stuff to do every night after work between training, school, and work. But, my Xmas tree is up and halfway decorated so that's cool. I have all the houses displayed and lights on the half-wall. I love shutting all of the main lights off and reading by the Christmas lights. :) This is a picture of Millie in front of the purple tree I did last year. I'll definitely have the purple tree again this year as I just love looking at it. :)

Sue, Aunty K, & I are going to the Festival of Trees tomorrow after work. We were supposed to go a couple of times now but life got in the way. So we'll try and get to it tomorrow. The new Harry Potter movie is out and I can't wait to see it. Maybe I'll head over to Chunky's sometime this weekend.

I was supposed to go to a Flyball Seminar this weekend, but it's expensive and I don't have the extra $$ it would cost. So I'll attempt (HA!) to clean and get some wrapping out of the way.

Next weekend and the one after that I have holiday parties to go to. Then it's Xmas! I can't believe how quickly the time has past...sigh. My birthday is a few short weeks after that and it'll be a whole new year for me calendar wise and age wise. Which is a good thing. :) It's funny, but I'm not afraid of aging anymore - I actually kind of look forward to it. I find that I like, enjoy, & respect myself and my life more and more every year.

I tivo'ed Rudolph last night so I'm off to watch it!

D

Turkey Day

The party was great - a ton of fun with Millen having a bit too much to drink and threatening to get naked every 10 mins. Lots of food, people, booze, beer, and music. I didn't get home until after 1am - wicked late for me. :)

Millie and I are off to Cal's for Thanksgiving. Dad's already there and Keith is on his way.

Happy Thanksgiving!

D

heading out....

I had a 2nd opinion with a new spinal specialist today. I wish I could jump up and down and say I received good news, but that was not the case. Apparently there's nothing that can be done with the sole exception of annual radio frequency ablation procedures to manage the pain. Great. Like that doesn't hurt too.

So, I'm headed over to my cousin's house to imbibe a few (or many) cappucino martinis. Hopefully everyone will be oozing with holiday cheer and I can just forget that I'll have back problems for the rest of my life because some guy driving a cement co. truck couldn't stop in time.

Bah Humbug.

D

What a week...

I'm feeling better, but am still not at 100% yet. I haven't been sick like that in years! I'm blaming it all on the flu shot that I got a week before I got sick. I've heard that you can't get the flu with a dead virus shot, but I'm not convinced.

I was supposed to go to training on Tuesday, but had to work instead. I was able to go on Thursday though and help out with agility. There's a beautiful Newfie in class - all black and about 130 lbs. She has a great personality and is really good natured around people, but not so much with other dogs.

I will have a full house today when yet another unwanted dog is dropped off for rescue. Charlie came back and Roxie is still here. I got an email from a shelter asking if I had room for one more. And the people who are dropping off a dog today want to drop off his daughter that another member of the family owns as well. I find myself having less and less faith in human nature seeing as much as I do. Rescue is a good thing, it saves dogs lives and gives them another chance. But it also gives people an out for their responsibilities. More and more people have more than one dog... they just want to give up the "bad" one - the one that they just expect to "behave" without any training, instruction, care, attention, or love. I can't stand it at times. I had a woman arguing with me on the phone about why her dog was digging holes to escape her fenced in yard. The dog isn't crated at any point, has full run of the house, with a doggie door to go outside during the day while they're not home. They haven't trained him, they don't exercise them other than letting them out into the yard, never play with him or throw a ball, and they wonder why he's bored and digging to get out, but argue with me when I tell them the reasons?? My compassion for animals has grown while my respect and love of humans has diminished.

I had a Flyball team meeting on Friday night to work out some drama currently happening in the flyball community. Many teams in our region want to boycott another team's tournaments because of how poorly run they are. They don't have people for the table or any judging positions and each tourney gets progressively worse. They charge a lot of money to race with nothing to show for it but working even more to keep the tourney running smoothly and on-time. So a private email went out about a boycott to most, if not all, of the team captains. I personally don't like sneaky shit like that. If there's a problem, try to deal with it first by talking to them. Apparently a person that knows this particular team's captain says it wouldn't be worth talking to them - they wouldn't listen and nothing would change. Which is fine, but at least let them know why people aren't signing up! How can anything be fixed if it isn't talked about? At least then people would be able to say that they tried. Gods I hate drama. This sneaky stuff is bullshit. I thought I left all of this crap in high school. I thought adults were supposed to know better. Another reason to dislike the human race.

Saturday was a much nicer day, thankfully. :) I was contemplating the structure of my day when my cousin called to see what I was doing. Since I hadn't started anything, I decided to go out and run errands with her. I had no plans on buying a single thing, but apparently that wasn't the way it was supposed to go. :) Needless to say, I bought a bunch of stuff as it was a very good shopping day, and I got 22 people knocked off my Xmas list!! Yay! I think I'm almost done - less than 10 people left I believe. I'll have to update my spreadsheet at work and then I'll know for sure.

After that, I did homework for a couple of hours, puttered around the house a bit, and got ready for 'Girls Gone Mild' poker night at Mary's. It was a bunch of fun of course. We ate a bit and played Michigan Rummy the whole night. That certainly brought my spirits up a bit. :)

Today I have that dog coming, and I'm supposed to pick up a gift for my Dad tonight. I have a ton of laundry to do, a bunch of cleaning (I hate cleaning!!!!) , and I was hoping to get everything packed up into the attic now that there is insulation up there. I have to take pictures of all the dogs and write up their bios to put them online. I also have a few proofs to add to Donna's site, I almost forgot about that.

Next week is Thanksgiving and for the first time, we're having it at my sister's house. We're also frying the turkey for the first time. Needless to say, it should be very interesting. :) I have a few side dishes to make that day, but I can do that in the morning. My cousin is having her annual Cocktail party the night before, which will of course be a really fun time. :) I will NOT, however, get sucked into playing that stupid Friends game like I did last year. It was just bad and I have to wonder about the people that know *that* much about a TV show. Who ever knew that a game about Friends could be so cut throat? ;)

I also have my reunion next week - ugh. I do not want to go and am seriously thinking of blowing it off. We just had one 3 years ago! Not all that much that has changed in the past 3 years that I feel the need to discuss with people I knew 15 years ago. But, I'm on the committee and I guess it wouldn't be fair to the other members if I didn't show up. So I'll go, alone, again. I'm sure it will be fun....

Time to get the day started :)

D

flu?

I've heard that you can't get the flu from a flu shot - especially when they use a "dead" virus. However, I'm living (barely) proof that that statement is suspect.

I was out of work ALL week last week sick as a dog. It's Saturday, day 6 of the sickness and I'm not all that much better, except that I don't have a fever anymore. I called my doctor this morning and she called in a prescription for antibiotics and cough syrup. She asked why I didn't make an appt to see her, to which I asked if she would've been able to pick me up since there was NO way I was driving.

I was able to get out today and get all the insulation I needed for Steve to install tomorrow. Other than picking up my 'scripts, that's all I've been able to do. :( Although I did get through all of my email and got some homework done.

Ok, back to lying on the couch.... this sucks!

D

ugh

I woke up from a great weekend as sick as a dog.

I've been out of work 2 day and feel like crap. :(

Great day :)

I leisurely rolled out of bed this morning, made myself some coffee and a bagle, and sat down with the newspaper. Perfect Sunday morning. :)

Still feeling really relaxed, I went to the supermarket for a few things I forgot the other day (STILL forgot kitty litter), and when I got home, started cleaning. (!) The kitchen looks good for a change, as does the living room. The spare room, well, that's another story. :) But that will look better once the insulation is added next Sunday and I can throw some of these boxes up there.

Joe & Ellin arrived around 2:30pm, sans Floyd (poor Millie.) We went to home depot and got everything needed for the additional basement lights. We stopped at the supermarket (again, as I forgot an ingredient for a new steak marinade I was trying), got gas, stopped at Newbury comics, and the beer store. (I'm so thankfully Joe works for beer and food :) )

Joe went right to work and had the 3 additional lights up before the pepperoni bread was ready. He also added a few more outlets while he was at it. :) I got everything else prepared for dinner and we sat down to a tasty meal of steak tips, garlic butter potatoes, baby carrots, and asparagus. I really out did myself today, if I do say so myself. :) Since Joe had seconds, I'm guessing he thought it was yummy too. :)

Then we threw on some tunes and played Michigan Rummy until 9:30pm. We had a great time. :) All in all, it was a great day! Of course, it would've been an awesome day if I didn't have to clean. :)

Roxie went around the table and sat on everyone's laps multiple times, so she's doing better. It took her a few minutes to not be afraid of Joe & Ellin but obviously she got over it. :) I'm still not letting her out in the yard without a leash yet; that will come in time.

So now I'm sleepy and I'm going to head to bed, read for a bit, and then pass out. :)

D

cleaning sucks...

At least I can see the top of my filing cabinet (aka kitchen table)! You can also see the floor, but I never got to the dishes. oh well :)

Roxie is now here, but she doesn't like me very much. She's very scared, which is normal, but she'll get over it within the next day or two. She's currently hiding in her crate having a little quiet time.

I was supposed to go to Home Depot today and get all the lights for the basement that Joe is going to install tomorrow. I'm hoping he and Ellin won't mind taking a trip before we start as I'd really like his advice on which ones to get. After that, I won't have to be afraid of my basement anymore! Yaaaay!

The weather was beautiful today! I had the back door and front bay windows open for most of the day. It just got chilly though, so they're closed and I'm going to go hang out with the dogs under a blanket. :) Dog heat rocks. :)

I'm off to catch up with Tivo and see what I missed this week. :)

D

p.s. - I updated my website a bit; added a page for Payton, updated Freddie's titles, etc., etc. Go see and let me know if you like his bio. :)

There was an explosion at the back door today; it was in the form of 4 dogs going bonkers. The cause? A squirrel, innocently sitting on the deck. By the ruckus it caused, you would have thought a meat wagon crashed into my backyard. Freddie is the worst as his prey drive is soooo much higher than all the others. Millie, being the typical hound-mix, loves to tree them and let me know what she's done by this incredibly different bark of hers. Skootchie, the referee of the family, just stood there and told the other dogs to knock it off. Didn't work. Payton really had no clue why everyone was so animated so he barked to go along with everyone else, and then ran circles around Millie, barking, while she did her treeing bit. Thankfully my neighbors are A) dog people, and B) understanding. :)

Today, Roxie is coming to stay for a while until she can find a forever home. Her owners are having their first child and found out that Roxie is *not* good with children. I also have to call on the 8lb escape artist. It's on the list of things to do for today.

What I really have to do is get my @ss in gear. I spent the morning doing homework for the new class - without coffee! So I really need to get a cup of Java and start cleaning the disaster area otherwise known as 'my kitchen.'

I wish I had a cleaning person....sigh.

D

Testing....

My blogger has decided not to post any more documents to my server. This is a test. :)

Quick update

A quickie after scarfing a PB&J sandwich and before grabbing a glass of milk and heading off to training. Home Depot still has something in the moving packets, but it isn't coupons anymore. They now give you this card to fill out and they'll send you the coupon in 4-5 weeks. Phooey.

However, I did find out that they're having some insulation promotion - if one purchases at least $250.00 worth of insulation, one will get a $75.00 Home Depot Gift Card in the mail.

Sweeeet!

That's better than a 10% coupon!

Agility went well, every dog seemed to grasp targeting pretty easily so we were able to give them some time on the equipment. There's a beautiful Newfie in class - so friendly and sweet! I love *huge* dogs. :)

'k, *now* it's time for bed!

D

no fire last night :(

Someone (me) had forgotten that there were some fixes moving into production last night and that someone (me again) had to work. Thankfully there were no issues and it only took 85 mins. So, no fire for me. Phooey. My next house *will* have a fireplace!

The birds have been missing for 2 days now so I'm assuming Bubo is back. I haven't heard him though, but that's all I can think of.

I got, and completed, my first week's assignments for the new class. It's going to be torture to participate in this one....

Steve (my friend Jessica's husband) is coming over on the 13th to install insulation in the attic. I have to remember to pick up baffles (I think that's what they're called.) He does that house building/repairing stuff for a living so I'm much more comfortable with him up there than me. :) It just takes one mis-step and there goes your ceiling.... that's something I would do. :)

But I am going to ask him if he would be interested in making my half wall into a book case. Another one of those some day ideas. :)

Tonight I have to teach agility at dog school. Thankfully there's only one class so I'll be home by 8:30 or so. I don't know why, but I've been very tired this week. I know some of it was from all the yard work, but I'm puzzled by the other half.

Tomorrow Holly, Rob, & I are taking a ride up to American K9 to do some extra flyball training with Payton & Sammi. There are a few things that Freddie does that I want to make sure don't happen with Payton - double striding on the return, no box turn to speak of at all. I'm not worried about the double striding part, that's really inconsequential. It's the lack of a box turn that has me worried. Not having a good swimmer's turn on the box means that Freddie is taking the impact of him hitting the box in his shoulders; and he hits that box *hard*!

Saturday is cleaning day - and Home Depot day. Speaking of which, I need to take a ride to the Post Office today and see if they have any of those 10% off your entire purchase coupons for HD.
Every little bit helps when you're spending hundreds at one time. :)

'k, that's it for now. :)

D

bunch of small stuff I keep forgetting to write about

In no particular order....

For the first time (while I've been home), I had Mourning Doves and female cardinals on my deck eating from the feeder. The Mourning Doves were actually just picking up the seeds from all of the other messy birds. They're good cleaners. :)

Freddie did great at the flyball tourney - he was solid 99.9% of the time, which is excellent. We didn't stay for the costume contest as Rob & Holly wanted to get home to watch the game ( I dunno which game... or what sport....). I was pretty much done by the end as well so I really didn't care. :)

I left work early on Mon & Tues because the weather was incredible and I thought it would be a good time to get the rest of my yard work done. I mowed the lawn, mulched leaves, weed whacked everything, and then swept it all up. It's actually looking pretty darn good, if not a little brown. :)

I finally finished my paper after a million revisions and editing sessions. I'm not sure that I'm all that happy with it but I don't know what else to do with it. They say you are your own worse critic and I think that's very much the case here. I guess I'll find out Monday when I get my grade for it. Here's hoping to keep that perfect GPA. :)

Payton was supposed to come with me to training last night but he pissed me off so I left him home and took Skootchie instead. She had a BLAST! I forget how much training she hasn't had, and just how much she loves working for food. I'll have to start swapping them out I guess. :)

Joe & Ellin are coming over on Sunday to work on the lack of lighting in my basement (Joe's an electrician.) Ellin and I will hang out or go tax-free shopping if we have time. I don't think it's going to take him a long time, so maybe we can just hang out, eat, play cards, and sit by the firepit. :)

Speaking of firepit, I'm considering having a bit of a flame tonight. It's not 70 degrees like yesterday, and it's only supposed to get down to the 50's tonight. I don't have any plans so I'm thinking the kids and I should enjoy a fire tonight. :)

I found out what's expected of me for my next class - WEB 111. What a huge waste of my time and money. I called the school today to see if there was any way at all that I could test out of it, but they don't have a test for it. I told them I'd be willing to do all the homework and the final project in a week and pass it in but they said No. So I have to be bored for the next 6 weeks with this stupid introductory class. What a shame.

My reunion is coming up at the end of this month. I really don't want to go as we just had one 3 years ago. But, I'm on the committee so I have to. That'll teach me to open my mouth. Honestly, the worst part is having to go alone. It's not acceptable to be single at this age - I should be having my 3rd or 4th baby or something. Oh, and having 4 dogs doesn't count, btw. What fun!

I spent Sunday the 30th with Sue as it was her 30th birthday (30 was an awesome year for me.) Aunty Kathy, Sue & I went out to breakfast and then hung around her house from about 2pm on, cooking, talking, chatting - just having a good time. :)

ok, back to work for now. :)

D

flyball....

Today is our one day flyball tournament at All Dogs Gym in Manchester, NH. I still have to jump in the shower, gather all of Freddie's equipment, and find his Halloween costume for the contest afterwards. I was thinking of dressing up my self, but it's kind of hard to run when you're all dressed up. :)

One little thing I noticed about Bubo: when he's around, all of my birds are gone! No more chickadees, junkos or titmouses torturing the cats by hanging out at the feeder on the deck. It was mysteriously silent the morning after Bubo re-appeared. But, I haven't heard him since so maybe he just came in for a visit.

Some other good news (for me anyway) is that I'm about 2/3rds of the way done on my final paper. I'll do homework when there's downtime today, in hopes that I can just get 'er done. :)

D

My owl is back!!!!

While sitting here on the computer, I heard a familiar hooting sound coming from the back yard. Bubo the owl is back!

Some history: When I first moved into this house a little over a year ago, my first encounter with nature (not normally known to a concrete city) was with a Great Horned Owl. After reading about them online, I named my owl Bubo; the latin word for Owl (and a great flashback to my Clash of the Titans movie days.)

In the spring of this year, I was working from home one day and I heard birds sqawking all morning in front of my house. I looked outside a few times, but couldn't figure out what they were so irritated at. Later in the day I was leaving for an appointment and when I backed my car out of the driveway, I saw him. Bubo, relaxing on my lawn, leaning up against the lattice on the side of my front stairs. Now, I'm not sure if Bubo is male or female, but I like to think he's male.

It was one of the most beautiful animals I've ever seen. He had beautiful rust/brown mottled markings and the telltale tufted ears. He had the biggest most amazing eyes I've seen in an animal. And he was HUGE! Bubo was easily the size of 2 of my dogs put together.

I stopped the car and got out. I stood there and stared while he watched me for a bit and then turned his attention to the birds that were dive bombing him. I must've stayed there for 10 mins. or so wondering what to do. Owls don't come out in daylight! And they certainly don't take a nap on your front lawn! So I assumed that he was hurt or something and tried to think of someone to call. I dropped my phone, which must've startled him because he took off and headed away from my property.

I haven't heard from Bubo since then, so I thought he might have perished. But I'm happy to report that he's back and in full hooting mode! Interestingly enough, I just read that owls take over nests - one of the them being a hawks nest. So I wonder, do my owl and hawk just switch when the seasons turn?

Ok, off to a town meeting! (and then homework...ugh)

D

...and more rain

Well, I never did get that rip roarin' fire in the firepit - it started raining before I was done with homework. :( Bummer dude!

But, my friend did call me to let me know SHE was sitting in front of a nice fire. Wasn't that nice of her? :) She knows how jealous I get with that too.

Today was another raw, cold, wet day. The ground is still too saturated from the 10 days of rain we had so my sump pumps (both of them!) have been working overtime. It wasn't raining all that bad where my work is, but I guess here at home it was pretty steady and heavy. I'm just thankful they're both working. :)

I did have a bit of a scare this morning with water in the basement however. I went downstairs to check both pumps and I noticed water on the floor in a small area. Thankfully, it was just the hose to the dehumidifier leaking as it popped out a bit. I fixed that and then checked the pump pits, which were full of water. Apparently it had rained all night.

I found out yesterday that I got a perfect score on the last paper I turned in. Yippee!! (ya gotta take 'em where you can get 'em!) I also found out that I'm supposed to turn in a draft for my final paper (for this class) on Friday. I guess I better get cracking on it! I do have 4 out of 6 required references and the outline done, I just have to put the words on the paper. I know what I'll be doing alllll night tomorrow. :)

Freddie and I have a one day Flyball tournament at All Dogs Gym in Manchester, NH this weekend. Come on by and say Hi if you're in the area! We like having spectators. :) My friend Donna will be the photographer for the event. She's really so good at capturing the dogs. The heats are so fast that I have no idea how she does it. I have to save up some cake so I can purchase allll the awesome pictures she took of Freddie and Payton at the demonstration we did. There were some great shots of my boys! go see (Freddie is the first bunch of chocolate Min Pin pics, Payton is the last bunch)

Ok, I'm off to sleep - I get so tired in this cold weather!

D

Lazy (cold) day

I slept in this morning --- and enjoyed it! After checking email, I decided to treat myself for breakfast so I walked down to our local diner and had eggs over corned beef hash with coffee. Del'ish!

I read some homework while eating (it feels like people stare at you when you eat alone) and realized I still have a lot of reading to do. But, I have the whole day so no big deal.

I came home and watched Tivo for a little while (L&O:CI), then puttered around doing odd things that have been on my list of things to do: dremeled the pup's nails (they don't mind, the big spoon of peanut butter persuades them to like it), took a picture of the piping under the sink so Dad can take a look at it and make recommendations (it leaks a little), and got my paper recycling together. I came in here to check email before going back to reading homework.

I was thinking of doing some yard work but I really just don't feel like it. Not all the leaves have fallen so it makes sense to wait until they have before I head out with the Leaf Hog. And, more importantly, it's cold outside - a mere 45 degrees.... Brrr!

If it wasn't for my family, I'd be in Texas. :) Besides the warm weather, there's just something about a guy in boots and a cowboy hat with manners. :-D If only the guys up here could get a clue. Considering the majority of them are barely literate and refuse to publicly acknowledge things like capitalization, grammar, and punctuation, I think I might be asking for too much.

The one good thing about the cold is that I can get a rip roarin' blaze going in the fire pit without sweating my butt off. Maybe that will be my reward after doing my homework. :)

D

Thoughts for today...

Well, I didn't actually get my bulbs planted last weekend like I had planned. Partly due to laziness, and partly due to the fact that I had a more pressing concern with the appearance of water in my basement due to the bazillion inches of rain we received. Out of the 2 sump pumps I have, one of them wasn't plugged in for some unknown reason. The other one, which was plugged in, turned on, but didn't pump out any water - it was broken. :( I again have 2 sump pumps (3 if you include the broken one I have to figure out how to get rid of) thanks to Dad. :) Which is just in time for the rain we're supposed to get this weekend and next week.....Joy.

Going back to the bulbs, I did manage to get them planted yesterday after work. Another just in time thing as according to the packages, they need to be planted before the first frost. 6 hours before the first frost is good, right? I mean, it's still *before* the frost! So, we'll see if anything comes up in the spring. I also didn't follow all of the directions of this many inches down, this many inches between bulbs, etc. I did, however, put them in the right way. :)

This weekend seems to be fairly quiet as far as plans go. I thought we had flyball practice but we don't so I can sleep in. :) I have homework to do tonight, Sat. & Sun. but that shouldn't be too bad. I looked at my grades for this class so far and they're pretty darn good. If I can keep it up, I think I'll be able to keep my 4.0 gpa. :) I have only 4 classes to go for this portion of my education, 13 classes for the next step, and about 4 billion for the step after that. :)

I turned the heat on this morning - it was 60 degrees in the house when I woke up. Millie said forget it and went back to bed (under the covers) after going outside. I've been thinking about getting those vent things that redirect the air underneath furniture if you have a piece of furniture over the vent. Does anyone know if they really work? I guess I should get a filter pretty soon too.

Now I have to find all of my winter clothing....sigh. I'm not ready for the cold!!!

D

rain, rain go away....

What a crappy week. Just a scant week ago (or so), the weather was beautiful - sunny, warm (high 70's), and absolutely wonderful. This past week (or so), it's been nothing but cold (50's-60's), rainy & crappy. I don't think I'm ready for fall! Ok, I'm really just not ready for winter is what it comes down to - I hate being cold!

On top of a crappy week of weather, Millie got stung/bit by something and became my lumpy, bumpy bumpkin. Her eyes were swollen shut, her left jowel was swollen, she had hives all over the place... What a scare to come home to. She didn't even look like my dog! After I panicked, I gave her some Benadryl, which didn't do too much at all. Thankfully she was better the next day and now looks like her old self. :)


Today, I planned on planting some bulbs in the front of the house. I got a bunch yesterday and shared them with my friend Ellin, whom I visited with yesterday. Bulbs to plant: large white crocus, small botanical mixed color crocus, spring green tulips, skagit valley tulips, queen of the night tulips (they're so cool looking! Such a deep purple they look black), pink double tulips, red parrot tulips, large white hyacinths, small grape hyacinths, and ixiolirion, or, Mountain Lilies as they're also known as. But, I'm waiting for a potential home to come and see Snoop so that will have to wait for a bit. Hopefully it'll be a bit warmer later as well!

I mentioned visiting with Ellin yesterday. It's one of my zen places; good friends, good food, a fire in the fireplace, incredible conversation, and a relaxed environment. I went down with Millie, so she could play with Floyd, Ellin's dog, and to just hang out. She made dinner, the name I've forgotten (Beef Burgundy?), but it was a dish that cooked all day in a crockpot - meat, carrots, onions, and mushrooms that was served over rice. Delicious! We hung around in front of the fire talking about this or that with Joe (her husband) and we hit upon some fascinating topics of morality in today's society. It's interesting to hear what people think of the way society, and more specifically, our children, are evolving. The technology age that we're in has changed how things are done and I have to stop and wonder if it's for the better. I never hear words like honor or respect bandied around anymore, unless we're talking about the lack of it in society. Why is that? Since when has honor become anathema and isn't taught? Long ago, a family's honor was everything. Now, there isn't such a thing. Respect is pretty much non-existent (from my experiences.) We don't respect each other, so how can our kids grasp such a concept if it's not learned by example? I don't know. The more I think of it, the more I'm convinced that our current complacent, "not-my-fault" society is allowing the US to go to pot and I don't think we're actually aware of it.

And of the few of us that see this isn't the direction we should be heading, we ask ourselves "What can I do?" If I can ever answer that question succinctly, I'll write a book. Included will be a chapter on morality and values; how they've disappeared from everyday life and how to get them back again. Some day.....

Until then, I'll go on with my life, trying to do what I can where I can. I'll start by planting my bulbs. :)

D

Movies tonight

Dad, Betsy, and I are going to the movies tonight. I wanted to see that movie with Jodi Foster - Flightplan, so we're going to Chunky's to have dinner and watch the movie. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it!

D

Finally!

Y'know those weeks where every day seems to last forever and Friday seems so far away it might as well be in a different year? Yeah, that's been this week for me. :) The pathetically sad part about that is that it was only a 4 day work week!

Thankfully I only have a few more hours before I can blow this popsicle stand. :)

D

Tired!

Yesterday I had an appt. with my new doctor. She was very nice and not as conventional as other doctors I've had in the past. She has a good mix of conventional and new-age (mind, body, spirit.) I think I'll keep her. :) After that, I puttered around the house, did some homework (it feels like I'm always doing homework), and then went over to Sue's house for dinner. Aunty Kathy made roast beef with a ton of veggies and this homemade gravy that kicks ass. She told me how she makes it but I doubt I'll ever be able to duplicate it. Yuuummmmy. :)

Today I went back to work (I usually take the Monday after a 2-day tourney off) and was actually fairly productive. Not as many interruptions as normal, which was nice. :) Not that this makes sense to anyone else, but I have a bunch of DRs in the works and need to get them all into our production environment by the end of the month. For most it's not a problem; for others it will be a big issue. :)

I did a bit more homework after I got home from work and then headed out to training. I took Payton with me so he could get some more obedience work in. He did very well and I'm very happy with the progress he's made. I do, however, need to seriously work on how he takes food. Right now a few fingers are swollen because he's a bit rough. We'll be working on that tomorrow. We'll also be working on him allowing me to open his mouth like I'm going to give him a pill. I refuse to fight with him if he ever needs to be on medication.

Millie's is pacing between the bedroom door and the computer, stopping to give me kisses each time. I'm pretty sure she's telling me that it's time for bed. :) Payton was lying down next to me calmly until Skootchie came up to sniff him. Then he started to get fresh and she had to put the smack-down on him. He'll learn. :)

D

Success!

Congratulations are in order to Mr. Freddie & Ms. Steffi for the successful addition of the coveted Flyball Masters title! Their title list now looks like this:; FD, FDX, FDCH, FDCH-S, FDCH-G, FM

This weekend's tournament was great; people, conversation, weather, racing, timing of the races, everything! We never did get the EJS system up and running so the NET team was pulling triple duty running the tourney, running their teams, and manually scoring the entire 2-day, 168 race event. HUGE kudos to them for keeping everything on track and running smoothly. :)

The Lightning team placed 3rd and got approx. 821 points for the weekend. The Hurricanes team unfortunately did not place, but did get approx. 162 points for the weekend.

Even though there was a lot of racing this weekend, we did have time for some interesting discussions. One of them, car testicles, actually had us running into the lane just as our race came up. This weekends discussions took us all over the place, with a number of interesting tidbits learned in the process. We found out about the 3 top things they tell people from Sweden when they come into the country, how everyone feels on being naked, and that there are now testicles for cars. I'm not even kidding on the last one. We discussed purchasing a portable grill so we won't have to eat crappy fast food anymore. Hopefully we can work on that before next Spring. :)

And now, I have to write a 1250 word argument for school.... And I was having such a good day!

D

Yawn....(stretch)

How interesting! This is the first time we've had a flyball tourney at Monadnock. We're in the barn - and I mean a barn. Like watch where you walk because there are horse turds bigger then your dog kind of barn. You get used to the smell of horses after a bit and it's nice and open so it's not too bad.

Unfortunately, the EJS system (the lighting tree - like you see in drag racing) didn't have all of the appropriate cords, so we're doing manual times. It's a good thing in that there are less false starts being recorded, so things are moving along quite nicely! We were done with our racing by 3:30pm - unheard of on a 2 day tourney.

Freddie needs 6 more points for his 6th title - Flyball Masters (FM). Another dog on the team, Steffi, needs 17 more points for her FM title. We should easily be able to accomplish both of those goals today.

And, the ride there and back wasn't actually all that bad. Which is what I'm off to go do now!

D

4:30am and I'm up....

The fact that it's 4:30am and I'm awake is ridiculous within itself. Add to it that it's a Saturday morning and it's just outright silly.

Freddie and I have a Flyball tourney this weekend at the Monadnock Region Pet Expo in Swanzey, NH. I think it will be a lot of fun, having other things to do during down time, having more spectators watch the sport, and just being in a bigger location. However, driving back and forth 1 1/2 hrs. for two days is going to be a bit much. I should've looked at a map before saying Yes! :)

But, Freddie, if he does well this weekend, *should* get his Flyball Master title. He needs 421 points and being on the team he's on, that's doable in a 2 day tourney.

For now, I just have to stop shivering - it's 60 degrees in the house - and get ready so I can pick up Holly & Rob on my way. I think I'll let them pick me up tomorrow. :) Off to the shower!

D

Should be a beautiful day!!

I went to bed late last night, between homework, trying to catch up with Tivo and reading, well, there was just too much to do. :) I opened the window last night instead of having the AC on (I like it to be pretty cool when I'm sleeping) and I slept like a baby. The thermostat is reading 67 degrees in the house right now and it's 56 outside. I think it's only supposed to get up to 65 today. A perfect fall weather day, cool & sunny. :)

I have homework due today, which I'll be shortly getting to, and a combined birthday party for my grandmother and cousin. After that I have a potential, adoptive home coming to look at Sadie. Hopefully that will work out and Sadie will have a new home!! I also heard from Charlie's potential home today (their car broke down the last time they were coming to see him.) They're supposed to get their car back today and will hopefully be by tomorrow to have him meet their kids. Our temporary guest, Stuart, will also be going home tomorrow as his parents are returning from their vacation in Mexico late today. I think if everything happens as it should (which it probably won't), then it will be awfully quiet around this place!

Today's the type of day where I wouldn't mind vacuuming up the leaves, but there aren't any on the ground yet. I can see some of them starting to change, but only 2 have fallen. :) I really shouldn't be anxious for that to happen... by the time it comes, I won't want to do it!

I think we've made plans for Topsfield Fair and King Richards Faire. I think we're going to Topsfield on Oct 8th and KRF on Oct 22nd. At least that's the way it stands now. :) I have a flyball tourney Oct 1st & 2nd in Swanzey, NH - that should be really nice!

Ok, I put off doing homework for long enough. :) I hope to have it completed by the time I leave for the party! Wish me luck! :)

D

Hallelelujah!!

JetBlue Flight 292 landed safely at LAX!! That was some mighty fine flying Cap'n!

Let's hope that the people in the south will fare equally as well with Hurricane Rita.....

D

busy, busy!

Today was quite the busy day at work, but in a good way. Next thing I knew, it was time to go home! :) Let's see, I dealt with a production release that didn't work at first, but then kicked in later, users not realizing their usernames were case sensitive, a SecurID gone bad, a new production data issue, a new production formatting issue and I remembered I had another production issue from last week. A chock full of nuts kinda day. :)

I had training tonight; the 6:30 class has one week left and the 7:30 class finished tonight. I think I might bring Payton to next week's Adult Beginners class to keep him going. So what if he's already taken it! There's no such thing as too much training (there is, but that's more concentrated - training for 3 hours for example.) I still have one class left (tomorrow night) with him. Then school starts again on Thursday. It's amazing how quickly time flies when you're busy! This class is Composition II. I'm sure there will be a LOT of writing involved, which I'm ok with. I actually enjoy writing to be honest. The name of the required book is "Everyday Arguments: A Guide to Writing and Reading Effective Arguments." So it sounds like the class will be, at the very least, interesting, if not a total blast. :)

Yeah, it's just another normal night at Club Dawn: Millie's humping her toy, Stuart is humping Charlie, and Freddie is humping the cat. Yup, that's pretty normal. :)

My friend Mary very excitedly called me to let me know she has a new baby - Belle. She is a 5 year old Cocker that is apparently the sweetest thing walking this earth. :) It's funny how new doggie parents act - they forget everything they've gone through with their other dogs and are ready to rush them to a vet the minute they scratch their ear. :) Ok, she's not *that* bad (kinda, yeah, she is....), but at least she wasn't rushing her to the vet even though she *was* nervous she was scratching her ear. :-P

Millie's telling me it's time for bed. :)

D

Tuckered

Thankfully work was nice and quiet today. I'm still tired from the weekend (although the room looks fabulous!), so I'm taking it easy tonight. Tivo & I have some catching up to do!

D

Dog tired....

What a day! Freddie, Payton & I spent the day at Barktoberfest 2005. Freddie came along for the flyball demo my team did and Payton was there for socialization and training. :) He did soooo well. I had him heeling around the entire place with so many distractions - dogs, people, music, food, kids, wildlife, balls, frisbees... you name it! Auntie Donna was there taking pictures of the event (which should be posted on her website soon) so we even got to take some portraits of the boys. I know she got at least one awesome picture of Freddie coming back over a jump with a ball in his mouth. :) It was a great day!

Now I have to go put all the furniture back in the room....sigh. I better get to it to have any shot in hell of relaxing before the night is over. :)

D

Here's a tip....

...when they say to get the video if you've never done this before - get it. I tried a faux finish that did not work out *at all*. So, needless to say it's 7:00pm and I'm waiting for the first cover-up coat to dry so I can apply the (hopefully) final coat. I did say 'screw it' with taping everything first and y'know what? I'm *AwesomE* at cutting in. Amazing. Who would've thunk it. However, my pride was short lived as I then hit every baseboard and door frame with the roller. Apparently I have more to learn.

I did have some good news (and a break) when a potential home came by to see Charlie and they loved him! The parents came first to check him out and they're bringing their kids to see him on Monday night. If everything goes well (which I think it will), Charlie will be going to his forever home that night. :)

I got emails about two more dogs that might come into rescue. The first one doesn't like kids at all and the wife is pregnant. The second one has(d) an elderly owner and can't care for him/her anymore. I'm waiting for calls back on both of them.

I also have a house guest for a week - Stuart! Laura & Mike are off to Mexico for a week and he's staying here at Club Dawn. I adopted Stuart out to L&M somewhere around late 90's/early 00's. It's always nice to see dogs that have been adopted again. :)

Going back to the painting project - I doubt I'll be able to put the room back together tonight. Which means, I'll have to do it tomorrow after I get back from Dogtoberfest or whatever the name is. Freddie and I are doing a Flyball demo with the rest of the team tomorrow. :) I was hoping I'd have his Flyball harness back from Lupine by then, but I think I finally sent it out last week (my fault.) He loves his collar, harness & leash from them, but,he's still bummed out that his picture didn't get picked for their catalog and Skootchie's did. He'll get over it . :)

How long does it take paint to dry? Sigh.

D

Painting today

I've been cleaning out the room for the last 2 hours and it's only 9:00am. I think it's going to be a very long day....

I only have the furniture left to get out of there. But, since my uncle (who was supposed to help me move furniture) is sick today, it looks like I'm on my own. Now I just have to figure out how to do it *without* scratching the hardwood floors that were re-finished a year ago.

I'm getting hungry so I think I'm off to have a bit of breakfast before really getting started on today's painting project. :)

D

What a day. TGIF man. So I had every intention of leaving work early since I worked late into the night on Wed. That didn't happen. Somehow systems seem to know when you have plans and use that time to meltdown. It's 5:30pm and I still have to run to Home Depot to pick up the rest of the supplies I need to paint tomorrow. Oh, and I still have to clean out the room. :) Apparently I'll be having a fun night tonight! Oh well. It will be so worth it when I have that room painted and everything back the way I want it. The only thing I have to really figure out is where everything is going. I guess that'll be my Saturday night project!

Off to feed the dogs and do my errand before cleaning (yuck.)

D