Samhain

A merry Samhain to everyone!

Today I dressed up as a witch for work (fitting, huh?) Yesterday the employees brought their kids to work so they could safely trick or treat around the office. We hang these signs outside our office so they know which ones to hit. Today was the day the cafe was decorated and the employees dressed up. I haven't the foggiest idea why the two events didn't happen on the same day. I would think the kids would've loved to have seen people dressed up. I guess that's why I'm not in charge.

Although I love Halloween, I don't put my light on for kids to come for candy. People coming to the door makes the dogs go bezerk and it's not worth it for me to yell at them for 2 or 3 kids. Do you think that would stop them from doing it? Don't parents know that you're only supposed to go to the houses with the front light on? Has that changed in the 20 years since I've been Trick or Treating? Jeez.

I'm going to spend some time with the pups now because later I'm going to go sit outside, surrounded my nature, and welcome the new year in. (Halloween is a pagan's New Years Eve.) It's a time for reflection and I plan to do just that. A friend is coming over later and we'll see what that brings.

D

parade...

There's a parade today in Boston - http://www.boston.com/

Part of me would like to experience it but I really hate being sandwiched in crowds. Besides, I have to work and if I'm going to take any time off, it'll be for the dogs.

D

an article on dogs...

A great article: http://pets.yahoo.com/dogs/behavior-and-training/316/do-dogs-feel-love.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we were like dogs?

Lesser beings indeed...

D

the weekend...

I can't believe it's almost over! I feel like I just sat down.

I got my hair done yesterday (Yay!) and I'm thrilled with the cut too. I really have issues when it comes to my hair - mental issues - that I'll someday have to conquer. Until then.... oh well.

I went a shade darker this time and I like how it turned out. It's a good mix between an orange/red and an eggplant/red. Plus Faith left out some of the blonde/strawberry blonde/orange pieces so I have streaks still. The cut is fabulous too - still long, less front and side layers - all good.

Freddie, Tweak, & I had flyball practice at o'dark stupid this morning. I really have to get back into the waking up before 8am thing if I want to be able to survive flyball and not lose my job.

After practice (Tweak did awesome, btw!), we took a ride to Erving, MA to meet Mel and pick up 2 rescues. I now have 6 dogs in the house (yikes!) Harley is a 10 year old sweetheart of a dog that just likes to sit in my lap and gaze adoringly into my face. She's quite a cutie. She's got to lose weight though!! Nikko is a 1 year old BIG boy who is a little unsure of where to lay and what to do. He doesn't have to lose weight, he's just tall and muscular (an excellent flyball dog [not that I'm getting any ideas!!!]) They'll both stay until homes can be found.

The rest of the night will be spent in front of the TV cuddling with allllll the dogs.

D

choices...

It seems I can't have a reliable blog anymore. Anytime I go to edit it, I receive the same MySQL error. I will admit that it has slowed down after some months, but it's still aggravating nonetheless. I'm typing and I have no idea if it will be seen or if it will be lost to some blogger black hole.

Each time, I have to submit a ticket to the help desk so they can delete a particular file in the /temp directory of the server my site is hosted on. I'm sure I've mentioned before that I was having NO problems whatsoever until they picked up and moved my site from an old, aging server to a new, faster server. Just goes to show you that you should listen to some of those old sayings. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

So, I'm not pondering what to do. Should I move back to blogger and just have them host everything? Should I attempt to upgrade my blog software in the hopes that will fix the /temp dir problem? Since there are many, many sites sitting on that server, I'm not even sure if it's my site that's filling up the space or someone else's. I could bitch, again, to the support team but that really isn't going to get me that far since all of my hosting is free.

What to do, what to do. I don't know but I'm tired of having issues. REALLY tired, actually. Maybe I should get rid of all the fancy everything and just go back to posting in html like I used to. Then if something broke, it was just my stupid mistake.

In other news, the weather has been beautiful. If I think selfishly, I will admit that this global warming thing has some benefits to the northeast. I like having 83 degree days in late October. Call me crazy. I can only think of that for so long tho' before the reality of the glaciers melting, continents cracking, floods happening, and California dissapearing into the sea bring me back to reality.

Sigh.

I have a bird feeder on my deck. Directly underneath it are my recycling bins so there's always a layer of bird seed and seed shells on the bottom of them. Yesterday I saw Pacie acting very odd near the bins. He was trying to creep up and look into them but he was afraid. Not knowing what was going on, I brought all the dogs in and went to see what had him so curious. Sitting in each bin was a little tiny mouse. At least I think it was a mouse but it could be some other type of mouse-like critter, maybe a vole. I took a couple of pictures, which I'd love to post here, but can not. (See above rant about server problems, that's one of them.)

This morning there were two tiny critters huddling together in one bin. At least they joined forces this time. I think they can get in, but not out. I'm not sure if I should just leave the bins on their side so they could easily escape or not. What if they're in there when I let the dogs out and they try to run away? Min Pins are ratters. Their whole purpose of being is to chase little furry creatures. So I'm not sure if I'd do more harm than good setting the bins on their side. At least this way, I can bring the dogs in and then let them run to safety. Decisions, decisions.

Tonight I'm heading into Boston to see Wicked with Terrie. I love going to the theatre! We'll do dinner first and then head into the show. Hopefully it'll stop raining by then.

Right next to me are my cats, lying in a dog bed, on their sides, facing each other. Tenille has her paw draped over her brother's neck whilst they both snooze away. It's a very cute sight!

D

wrath...

Tweak got to see me in full wrath last night. I don't think she liked it all that much.

She's normally so good that I really haven't had a reason to get angry at her. I guess you could say she's been initiated.

I went to the bathroom, accompanied by the two Pins (I haven't been to the bathroom by myself in 10 years, sad but true.) How long does it take to go to the bathroom? Without getting into detail, unless you're showering a simple number 1 really takes less than a minute. I mean, there's not much going on and it doesn't take a long time. Right?

So, in under a minute, Tweak had my living room looking like a snowstorm had swept in and dumped about 5 inches of fluffy white stuff. Except, it wasn't snow. It was Millie's dog bed.

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It's one thing for them to rip apart stuffed animals. I'm ok with that and am used to sweeping up the guts of what used to be soft, fluffy toys. A dog bed, however, is a totally different story. Big dog beds are expensive. Little dog beds are $3 - $5. Big dog beds are NOT.

So when I realized what it was she had strewn all over the living room, I saw red. Man was I angry! I yelled at her to stop and put her in a down stay on the chair. I was swearing my head off when she decided she didn't want to lie down anymore.

Wrong answer.

I told her to lie down where she was and she blew me off. All I could see was her tail high and straight as she walked away from me. That's called the doggie finger, by the way.

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Unacceptable. I said her name, calmly, and she turned around. I told her, again, calmly, to come to me. She laughed. Ok, she didn't really laugh per se, but her facial expression and her total joy at ignoring me to get a toy was very much like laughter.

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You little fucker. Oh no you don't! I went to grab her and I think that's when she realized Mom had turned into this thing she didn't know how to respond to. She tried to book it into the other room but I got a hold of her and very firmly picked her up, went into the bedroom, and tossed her in her crate. (Don't think toss like threw, think like put.)

I let the other dogs outside because they've seen the wrath of Mom when something goes horribly wrong and were all huddled by the back door. Not wanting to take it out on them, I let them outside so I could clean up.

15 minutes later the living room was dog-bed-stuffing free, I had a little more control of my temper (slamming doors kinda helps, oh, and swearing a lot), and I was slowly getting back to normal.

Damn it. I liked that dog bed, a lot. More importantly, Millie liked that dog bed, a lot.

I went into the bedroom after 1/2 hour to do a little training with Tweak. She really wasn't sure what was going on so she stayed in her crate until she could tell which version of Mom had arrived. Once she figured out I wasn't going to skin her alive, she body slammed me, washed my whole face and snuggled for quite a bit.

Fun stuff.

D

night isn't night

At least not tonight it isn't. I let the kids out for the last potty break of the night just a minute ago. I have to go out with them because Tweak likes to bark at shadows. And bats. And grass.

Anyway, I sit on the deck looking up at the stars while quietly, but forcefully saying 'No, quiet!" every 2.03 seconds to Tweak.

Tonight I noticed that there weren't any stars. Instead of the deep dark night littered with tiny pin pricks of light, there is a gray/dusty rose night sky. It's quite pretty actually. I wish there was a way to catch it on film.

I mentioned before that today was really the first day I had my brain back. In retrospect, it's probably a very good thing I had no clue what the dates/days were earlier this week.

Tuesday, the 16th, made it one year since I lost a part of my heart. Ironically enough, I was sick then too. My sweet love, Skootchie, went to the bridge that day. It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life but she was sick, dying from liver failure, in my arms. We raced to the vet's office where I heard the worst news.

I stayed with her, whispered words of love as she lay in my arms and on my lap. I remember. My heart remembers.

I made the toughest decision I'll ever make. Not one I regret, she was sick - really, really sick and it was very clear she wasn't feeling good. There was nothing that could be done or I would have done it, regardless of cost. They don't have liver transplants for dogs.

While crying, I told her how good she was, how much I loved her, how sorry I was that I didn't know she was sick, how happy she made me, how much I loved her even though she had the absolute worst breath in the world, how I hoped she knew how much she was loved, how I hoped she had the best life possible, and that she made me want to be a better person, worthy of her.

I stayed with her until the very end, as much as it pained me, because I owed it to her. She deserved to have me by her side. There's no way I would leave her with strangers, to be scared while feeling so awful, not understanding what was going on.

I miss my girl.

There are many things I would trade just to see her again. To give her a kiss. To get a rare and precious very stinky kiss from her.

I think she would've liked Tweak. I think they would've played until Skootchie had enough and put her in her place. She was the queen bee after all.

As I'm sure you can imagine, I've cried throughout this whole blog. Since I'm still sick, now I really can't breathe out of any orifice.

I wish you could've known her. She was a really special dog who pleased lots of people by sneezing on command.

D

ill...

I hate being sick. Absolutely despise it. Thankfully it only happens once a year - at least that's been the schedule the last couple of years. I avoided bronchitis this year as well, another good thing, but I still hate being sick.

I've been unconscious most of this week (aka napping for most of the day) and have lost all track of time. I no longer know what day of the week it is, what date, or what time. I kinda like that part of it but the rest just blows.

Silvane just left so my house probably smells nice and clean. Since I can't smell anything, I can only assume. At least my head doesn't feel like it's encased in foam as much as it did earlier in the week.

I had a weird dream last night. I came home from somewhere with Millie and a small section of the pool cover was unclipped and flapping in the breeze. Millie immediately ran over to that side and with super dog strength jumped straight up from the yard on to the small ledge of the pool. I ran over to stop her from jumping in (dog nails are detrimental to the life of a pool liner) but she dove in before I got there. A squirrel had removed the clips and decided to go swimming. I watched Millie dive underwater and start chasing the squirrel. It wasn't in slow motion like it probably should've been but instead at the speed it would've been had they been on the ground. The minds a funny thing. Anyway, after yelling at her to get up here right this instant (I am a mother of sorts), I saw a haze of red roll through the water like fog on a meadow. Then I woke up. Bizarre, huh?

I think my fever broke last night and I have heard of fever dreams so maybe that was one of them.

D

Skunked

My boy did it again. He got skunked last night. I keep trying to tell him that the small black creature with white stripe things aren't cats but clearly he doesn't listen to me. Sigh, children never do.

I used that shampoo stuff you hear about - hydrogen peroxide, baking soda (I used baking powder since I didn't have any), and dishwashing soap. I was shocked, and thrilled, when it worked! Freddie doesn't smell like skunk anymore. My house, however, is a totally different story. I'll have to leave every window in the house open all weekend to (hopefully) disperse the stank of Peau de Skunk.

I think I've been fighting something off. I've felt a little... weird for the past couple of days and I learned Jo was sick as a dog. That would explain it. I was supposed to go out with Dina last night but I begged off rescheduling for next week. I have to leave work early today because I'm stupid and I've double booked tonight. I forgot tonight is St Adelaide's fair. It's the one thing my grandmother looks forward to going to and every year we make it a family thing. I have to stop and get cookies for Pepa (vanilla biscotti - yummy!), then head over to Peabody, spend time with her there, then shoot off to Saugus to go to dinner with my immediate family to celebrate my brother's birthday. He's 30 years old today. I can't freakin' believe it. I really can't. I think I'm getting old.

Anyway, I was hoping I'd have lots of down time tonight and tomorrow so I could rest up and not get sick. Clearly that ain't happenin'.

I have to fit in some time for work on Saturday. I need to finish up a few things on that website and I want it done so I can enjoy Sunday.

But first I have to actually *get* to work!

D

flies...

How is it that 2 flies have managed to survive more than a week in my house when I have 2 cats (isn't their job in life to catch bugs and rodents?), 2 Min Pins (ratters that are alert and go after anything that moves), a hound mix (who has been trained to "get the bugger"), and a Border Collie (another movement activated breed)?

It's unfathomable. Seriously.

What's been going on? Like always, everything and nothing. Work is still crazy. We're supposed to have the site up and off to the CD company right now but I'm still waiting for content. It won't be ready in time and I think I've finally just come to grips with that after pouring my life into it for the past 4 weeks. Shrug it off Dawn, shrug it off.

We headed up to Batavia, NY this past weekend for a flyball tournament. I camped with Jo and Eileen in Jo's camper. Of course we had a great time! I raced Freddie in the Veterans division (a slot for our oldies but goodies) and had a blast! It's absolutely sick that Freddie was on the fastest team ever with all the old guys and gals. Really, it's disturbing. There were 3 NET dogs (who live, breathe, and sleep on the edge of super sonic) and Freddie for runs with impressive time in the 19s. (I know you don't think that's impressive Jo, deal with it. )

The saying of the weekend was something like 'Who knew lettuce was the L in a BLT.'

My team captain ran her two dogs on an Open team - it's kinda like a pick up team for flyball. It's a good thing for those of us that want to travel and compete, but are on a team that generally doesn't go anywhere.

(Tweak is having a mighty fine time throwing a piece of a toy in the air and catching it whilst I type away. She's a hoot.)

Anyway, Cindy had fun and took 3rd place in the Open division. Not bad with 7 teams. Neither Freddie or I can take credit for it, but we got 1st place in vets. NET's regular team got first as well - something they are very used to. It was a successful weekend with plenty of play time for the Bitter litter (where Tweak came from.)

Now it's back to the boredom of work and normal life. I wish there was a way to become a professional flyballer. That would be way too freakin' cool.

Susan called me Tuesday saying she had found the perfect property for me - 54 acres of woods, open fields, and even a small stream going through it. The only problem? It's in New Jersey. Big sigh.

My brother's birthday is tomorrow so I have to figure out if we're doing something for him. I think we'll do dinner Friday night.

I didn't have any plans at all this weekend and as always happens, now I'm booked. At least it's with fun stuff tho'. Dinner Friday, yard sale with Terri Saturday, and King Richard's Faire on Sunday. That's what I'm most thrilled about! Terri is dressing up in costume but I'll stick with jeans and boots.

D

I has a sweet potato

The author of this story, and the original posting of the story, can be found here: http://littera-abactor.livejournal.com/7748.html

I has a sweet potato

Dog: I am starving.
Me: Actually, no. You aren't starving. You get two very good meals a day. And treats. And Best Beloved fed you extra food while I was gone.
Dog: STARVING.
Me: I saw you get fed not four hours ago! You are not starving.
Dog: Pity me, a sad and tragic creature, for I can barely walk, I am so starving. WOE.
Me: I am now ignoring you.
Dog: STARVING.
Dog: Did you hear me? I am starving.
Dog: Are you seriously ignoring me? Fine.

[There is a pause, during which the dog exits the room in a pointed manner.]

[From the kitchen, there comes a noise like someone is eating a baseball bat.]

Me, yelling: What the hell are you doing?
Me: *makes haste for the kitchen and finds dog there*
Dog: *picks up entire raw sweet potato, which is what was causing the baseball bat noise, and flees for the bedroom*
Me: *chases dog, retrieves most of sweet potato, less the portion which has disappeared into dog's gullet*
Dog: See? STARVING.
Me: ...That can't be good for you. It's a RAW SWEET POTATO.
Dog: I had to do it. I haven't been fed. Ever.
Me: You realize you aren't normal. Normal dogs don't steal raw sweet potatoes.
Dog, sadly: I was badly brought up.
Me: Yes. Yes, you were.
Dog: By people who starved me.
Me: Oh, no. I am not doing this again.
Me: *exits the room, bearing sweet potato*

[There is a pause.]

[There is a noise like someone is trying to eat a baseball bat very very quietly.]

Me: Oh, for the love of GOD.
Me: *heads off to the kitchen*
Dog: I am not eating a raw sweet potato.
Me: You have sweet potato parts all over your snout.
Dog: But you don't actually SEE a raw sweet potato, do you? So maybe that's just - um. A birthmark.
Me: Did you seriously eat a whole sweet potato?
Dog: You don't listen. I told you, I wasn't eating a sweet potato.
Me, searching around fruitlessly: Look. NO MORE SWEET POTATOES.
Me: Oh, what am I saying? This is you we're talking about, here. *goes to hide all the sweet potatoes that are left - which isn't many - in the fridge, because some people cannot be trusted*
Dog: *attempts to look thwarted*
Dog: *does not succeed, because her tail is wagging so hard small cyclones are forming in the kitchen*
Me: *has a very bad feeling about this*

[There is a pause, during which I do not even bother trying to return to what I was doing. I just stand in the computer room, waiting.]

[There is, as I wholly expected, a baseball-bat-eating noise.]

Me, stomping back to the kitchen: OKAY. GIVE ME THE DAMNED SWEET POTATO.
Dog, looking up guiltily: What sweet potato?
Me: THE ONE IN YOUR MOUTH.
Dog: Oh, did you want this? I just, um. Found it. Lying here.
Me: *confiscates the sweet potato and deposits it in the locking trashcan*
Me: Let us say no more about this.
Dog: ...Nooooo! They be stealin' my sweet potato!

[I attempt to remember what I was doing before the sweet potato episode.]

[Some ten minutes later, I succeed, and return to it.]

[NOT ONE MINUTE LATER, I hear a noise with which I have become all too familiar.]

Me, bonking head on desk: Arg.
Me, arriving in kitchen: How did you even get another sweet potato?
Dog, smugly: I have my ways.
Me: Are you punishing me for being away for several days? I was at a FUNERAL, you know. It wasn't FUN.
Dog: How would I know? You didn't take me. You left me here with only one human to look after my needs. One human is NOT ENOUGH.
Me: *shuts dog in bedroom, conducts a sweep of the kitchen to track down all remaining sweet potatoes, wipes up random sweet potato particles from floor, eradicates all traces of sweet potato from house*
Me: *lets dog out*
Dog, sulkily: Oh, so you think you've won.

[I watch her go about her business with the same sense of overwhelming doom that heroines of Victorian novels get when they meet Count Sinistrus Grimblack for the first time.]

[Half an hour later, there is a wetter, juicier eating noise, as though someone was eating a very moist baseball bat.]

Me, wearily: What NOW?
Dog, hunched over the remains of a butternut squash: *says something garbled because her mouth is full*
Me: Okay. Fine.
Me: *stomps over, empties entire vegetable bowl into trash*
Me: WE JUST WON'T HAVE ANY ROOT VEGETABLES ANYMORE. THERE. ARE YOU HAPPY?
Dog: I'm not even remotely sorry. I told you I was hungry. And you went to a funeral without me.
Me: ARRRRRRRRG.

[A half-hour later, there is another baseball-bat-eating noise from the kitchen. The dog, who apparently does not know how to win gracefully, has found another sweet potato, or possibly caused one to materialize from the Rift.]

Me, hauling chewed sweet potato parts from the mouth of a dog very reluctant to part with them: Oh my god how is this my life?
Dog: Don't you think it would just be easier to feed me?
Me: EVERYONE GO TO THE BEDROOM AND STAY THERE. EAT NOTHING.
Dog: Actually, I feel...um...not so good.
Dog: *throws up* *vomit is very bright orange*

[Unfortunate details ensue.]

Some time later:
Me, attempting to rescue something from the wreckage: So. What have we learned from this?
Dog: Sweet potatoes are yummy!
Other Dog, looking thoughtful: I should pay more attention to crunching noises. Sweet potatoes are probably yummy.
Me: I need a lobotomy.