Learning new things...

This morning, Tweak learned that the cellar wasn't the big bad place she thought it was. She actually had fun sniffing around and following Millie to see what she did.

Of course, in order to get her past the big bad cellar, I had to carry her down there. As a side note, instead of getting branded by a hot iron with some meaningless design, I recommend carrying a Border Collie down some stairs or into a pool. That'll get you branded right quick enough. And then you'll have a cute claw pattern permanently indented in your skin. Much less painful I would think.

So now she's panting like a maniac all stressed out. She'll get over it. We have flyball practice later so she has an outlet for that stress.

The demo was canceled today so I have some time to do some stuff around here. I need to get a good batch of tugs ready for the flyball demo next weekend. I bought the fleece and rope I needed yesterday for that. My laundry was starting to talk to me so I tossed that in the washer, much to it's bellowed chagrin, I might add.

The dishes are next since they're taunting me from the sink. I don't know where they picked up *that* kind of language but whatever, they'll get theirs. (Who am I kidding, they got it from me.)

I have a few key things going on that I have to get organized for. First is the flyball demo on the 14th, then my trip to San Francisco, then our tourney & Jill's wedding the 1st weekend in October. Too much to do and not enough time to do it in. 

Speaking of San Fran, I'm bummed that I'm the only one going. Anyone want to go with? I'm looking forward to it, have a whole list of places I need to visit while there and am excited to see my friend Laura who moved there from Boston like 5 years ago. It'll be interesting, to say the least, to see how my go-go-go attitude adjusts to the more sedate pace. Maybe it'll be like a vacation! Or course my vacations don't typically involve OpenWorld (I'm such a geek) and frequently involve dogs (of which I'll have *none* Yikes!) but whatever. I'm adaptable. I can go with the flow. (Insert eye roll here.) I'll probably be crying over my beer because I'll miss my dogs.

But first I have to be a tug making machine. Then I have to do the awards for our tourney. I'm not telling you what they are but they're pretty darn cool if I do say so myself. Useful, memorable and certainly not something that will be given away. It's a surprise!

I also have to find a dress to wear to Jill's wedding. I'm leaving the tourney on Saturday in the afternoon and will be back as soon as I can. I wish I could clone myself so I could hang out with my friends at the wedding all night *and* still be at the tourney to race my dogs and sit in front of the fire pit after racing. Dag nab it.

Oh well. I'm off to cut fleece and prepare to do battle with the dishes. I'm wearing gloves.

D

another silent killer...

Women, be aware.

Who knew?

I didn't.

http://komonews.s3.amazonaws.com/ibc/komo_ibc.wmv

D

flower pictures

I haven't posted pictures of the garden flowers in quite a while. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take as many pictures as I usually do since I wasn't around much this year. I'd go away for a long weekend and when I came back flowers would be in bloom - I just didn't grab the camera right away so they'd be dead a few days later. I'll try harder next year. :)

the buzz..

Yesterday's buzz was about politics. The Republican VP nominee's 17 year old daughter is pregnant. And that affects her job how? Whether or not she's qualified is debatable and something to be scrutinized and nothing else.

This kind of stuff is the reason I stay out of politics. I vote, but short of that I'm not a die hard in any way, shape or form. I honestly don't have time to worry about that kind of stuff. I don't know the woman nor do I know the daughter. And I don't think that the daughter being pregnant sets a precedent for anything. That business should stay where it belongs - between the mother, father, father-to-be and his parents. That's who it affects. Not us.

I was a little bit angry when I heard Obama left the church he's attended for years because of a comment the preacher made. Guess what! People can have differing opinions and it's really Ok! Obama can use the sense he has to listen to the preacher and reject what he doesn't like or agree with. Really, he can. I mean, seriously. He's one of two people nominated to be in charge of the freakin' nation and we don't trust him to use his own common sense when it comes to going to church? Really?

This kind of shit pisses me off. If you're going to judge someone, don't do it by another person's actions. Listen to what that person says and look at what that person does - that's what matters. Not whether or not Palin's daughter is pregnant. It's none of our business and it shouldn't be news.

D

Labor Day weekend

I think I was supposed to have a cookout this weekend but with all the other events and tourneys on the calendar I totally missed planning it! I wasn't actually here to have it so I guess it didn't really matter. :p

Saturday was the great 3.9 day, which I'm still pretty happy about! Sunday was another good day, just not for Tweak. :p Freddie pooped in the ring one heat, so that sucked but otherwise it was a good weekend! So many good things happened - half of which we didn't know about until afterwards. Chili (Tweak's littermate) pulled out a 3.8(!!!), Grit got his FDCh-S title, Yikes got his FGDCh (30k) title, Chili got her FDX title, Tweak ran a 3.9, Gotcha got floor time and did well in warmups, Brink did her job like a trooper and everyone helped out for each puppy. It was really great.

I'm not sure what happened to my puppy on Sunday, she just kinda left her mind in the crate I think. :p She did well in most of the warmups but lost it when she was racing another, faster dog. She spit the ball and ran around the jumps to get back to me. Apparently she doesn't like losing and will take any shortcut available to her when she is behind. All of this stuff is normal, green (or new) dog behavior. I'm still uber proud that I she did as well as she did and am glad I got to see what she can potentially do.

Sunday I spent the day on the Vineyard relaxing with Susan and her parents. We drove around, made a few stops, had lunch, had ice cream, went snorkling for sea clams (wow they're big!) and went out on the boat for a bit. I didn't have my suit with me so I had to stay in the boat during the snorkling - oh darn. :p

It was the perfect way to spend a day off - beautiful weather, good people, good food, lots of sun, good conversation and most importantly, relaxation! The sun was setting when I crossed the Bourne bridge and what a site that was - absolutely amazing. I wish I had my camera and could've stopped to take a picture. I looked to the right and it was nighttime picturesque; I looked to the left and it was sunset picturesque. Ohhhhh... I could've used my landscape setting and got both sides in one really long picture. Darn.

The pool is starting to look a little cloudy from my time away so today is pool and dishes day when I get home from work. That and dog day because they all need baths and nail trims. I might need a spearate night for just that tho', we'll see.

Today I need to book my flight for San Francisco. I'm off to a conference later this month and will be gone for almost a week. Aunty Michelle is going to take Tweak and work her while I'm gone and Aunty Susan is taking the rest of the kids. Susan was also going to take Tweak but she needs some fine tuning and Michelle and Dan have offered to take her. I need more hands to work her here and I just don't have them.

All in all, an excellent weekend!

D