Assorted Ramblings

Catching Up...

2010-03-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

OK, I think catching up is the title of at least half of my personal posts. It's been a very up and down month so far. My much anticipated knee repalcement has been indefinitely postponed by my surgeon while he waits to get me in to consult a third surgeon - this one specializing in osteotomies who is in London (Ontario). I'm beyond frustrated and having a lot of days where I just want to stick my head in the sand and say go away and leave me alone. On the plus side the iron transfusion does seem to have helped a bit with the exhaustion. I'm wondering how long the effect will last?

The music man is spoiling me rotten which I must admit is very very nice. I am thoroughly enjoying it. I'm not sure I deserve it but I'm definitely liking it lol

You can see our great dog show info over on the dog blog. We had a pretty spectacular weekend. I can't wait to be able to show my own dogs again. I've been putting off showing Dublin because I wanbted to do it myself but now it's looking like that may be a long while off so I may yet bite the bullet and let someone else show him.

I'm whipping through Rick O'Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. Very enjoyable. I'm reading about one per night. So, it's a fast read but fun. I've discovered that there are a lot of great kids books out there right now. I suppose it indicates something simple about me, but I do love reading them anyway. They're a nice break as I wait before plunging into Kim Harrison's latest which will definitely not be for kids.

I watched American Idol last night. I'm not a regular American Idol watcher but I do tend to watch if I'm around once they get down to the last bunches. This week's theme was the Rolling Stones and frankly, most of them sucked it big. The Stones should be about passionate energy that leaves you hot, sweaty and satisfied. Most of them tried to slow it down and had little energy. Yech.

Olympics

2010-02-18T12:21:00.001-08:00

I came home planning on writing all about our adventures in New York. Then we lost Chance yesterday and everything went to the wayside. I will put out a post about our adventures once I'm up to getting the pictures uploaded, etc. We did have a wonderful time and the dogs did very well.

I also wanted to write about the Olympics which are being held in my old hometown (like when I was 6-9 years old, so a long long time ago now) as I type.

I love the Olympics. It is the only time I become an avid armchair athlete. Normally, while I enjoy attending sporting events live, I watch very little sports on tv. I do watch the Stanley Cup and the NHL finals as a general rule (sorry, I'm Canadian, I have to watch hockey) but that's about it.

One of the many things I like about the Olympics is watching all the sports you so rarely hear about otherwise - snowboard cross, bobsleigh, luge, skeleton, aerial skiing, figure skating, etc. I'm particularly big on figure skating (blame Kurt Browning) and snowboard cross although I also like the half-pipe snowboard events. Many of them are sports that I'd love to try some day - especially bobsleigh (I love speed). Chances are I never will and that may be safer for all concerned but it is nice to dream about it. Maybe someday I'll get to visit the facilities used for the Olympics and try a mini-run or something like that :)

I'm an equally big fan of the summer Olympics - where I love diving (who doesn't like watching Alexandre Despaties?) and equestrian events in particular.

It's also really nice to see these athletes who work really hard all year round and do not make the big bucks that NFL, NHL, NBA. and other professional athletes make get the attention they deserve. It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to make it as far as they have and they deserve our support as they represent our country at the games. So, here's to all the Canadian Olympians be they medal winners or not, they are all winners in my eyes.

Vale Chance - Nuthatch's The Negotiator

2010-02-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

Suddenly, yesterday afternoon. Chance had slowed down dramatically over the last year, particularly after the passing of his mother and best friend, Holly, last year. He will be dearly missed.

I Did Not Die

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow;

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain;

I am the gentle Autumn’s rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush.

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft star that shines at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there;

I did not die.

- Anon -

The Pirate Project and Blogs That Make You Cry...

2010-02-02T06:33:00.001-08:00

I'm almost finished the Pirate Project. I fell behind after becoming addicted to finishing Kushiel's Justice and Kushiel's Mercy. Then both True & Jeannie went and had puppies (there are photos up on the dog blog). It's been a distracting few weeks but I'm back on track and hope to have it finished in the next week or so.

Now that the Pirates themselves have seen it (the prototype was unveiled at the Pirate Christmas Gathering), I can tell you a bit more about it. As per usual, I bit off a bit more than I could chew and decided upon a project that ended up taking on a life of its own. I greatly underestimated how long it would take me to finish it or how often I would change my mind about the placement of different things.

In the end, it is intended to be (and hopefully succeeds on at least some level) a 50 page scrapbook ode to over twenty years of friendship between the Pirates. It contains pictures both new and old of the Pirates and their families. I tried (with varying degrees of success) to incorporate their likes, hobbies, profession, passions, etc through choice in paper, embellishments and text although I kept text to a minimum. I will take some pictures of my favourite layouts from the book and post them here.

I follow a number of blogs. Most are dog blogs featuring tons of pictures and stories, most happy and funny. I was following links when I happened upon a blog called Remembering Josh (http://rememberingjosh.blogspot.com ). At first it caught my eye because the boy in the picture made me think of Jacob. So, I started reading. I only managed to read a few entries as I was at work and I started crying. It reflects a family's grief after losing their teenage son to suicide. It is well worth reading, just keep the box of tissues close. It reminds you of the imporatnce of treasuring each and every day.

Odd Notes

2010-01-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been kind of busy as you'll know by the following:

I finally bought myself a laptop and picked it up on Sunday afternoon. Last night (Monday) was the first time I got to turn it on and try it out. I quite like it although it will take me awhile to get used to using my finger to control the mouse.

I will be going to New Jersey in the spring to judge Weimaraners.

Crufts - An Affair of the Hound...

2010-01-25T14:30:00.000-08:00

Not surprisingly, I have always had a weakness for hounds - both sighthounds and scenthounds. In Europe there are many different continental hounds that we never see here in Canada. One of my favourite parts of Crufts was wandering around and seeing all the breeds I had never seen before. With the exception of the HPR (Hunt Point Retrieve - ie versatile hunting dogs like our GSPs and GWPs), I've included several of them here. With a few exceptions, most are hounds. I'll do the HPRs separately.

Hamiltonstovare

This is by far my favourite hound. I had seen a few photos of them before but had never seen one live in the flesh. A medium sized hound, they have a beautiful elegance while still being all scenthound. I would love to import one of these. (Now you know why Dad shakes his head everytime I see a breed I like lol)

Azawahk

Basset Fauve de Bretagne

These were cute little guys.

Bleu Gascogne Basset

Bleu Gascogne Grand

As with these last two breeds, it is a common thing for many hounds, particularly french ones, to have a small (Basset) size and a large (Grand) size.

Bavarian Mountain Hound

Cirneca d'ell Etna

Hovawart

Kooikerhondje

Lagotto Romagnolo

Lancashire Heeler

A typical feisty heeler - one of the few non-hounds in this list. This is a breed native to England.

Portuguese Podengo Rough

Portuguese Podengo Smooth

The Podengos were just adorable. As their notes said - why tango when you can podengo?

Sloughi

Segugio Italiano

And for those who asked my favourite part of heathrow...

More Crufts Photos

2010-01-25T09:41:00.000-08:00

The Golden Retriever Demo Team

The Friends for Life

International Juniors Competition

The Sporting Group

The Cut for the Sporting Group

(for those non-exhibitors, these are the judge's preferred dogs from the group, he will choose his winners from the cut)

The Sporting Group Winner

This Vizsla (Sh Ch/Aust Ch Hungargunn Bear It'n Mind) from Australia but not competing in the UK was extremely impressive. Any of the dogs in the cut could have won; it was a stunning lineup. I still favoured the Bracco Italiano, the GSP and the GWP but I couldn't fault the Vizsla.

The Working Group Cut

The Working Group Winner

My Friend Elaine Competing in the Working Group with a Bouvier des Flandres of her breeding.

The Non-Crufts Part of the Trip

2010-01-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

Although most of the trip was taken up at Crufts there are a few other excursions and particularly people that I want to mention.
I stayed with a wonderful lady named Anne and her husband. The bred english setters and currently have two field spaniels. Field spaniels are fairly rare in Canada and up until then I had only seen a few in my lifetime. Robbie, the field spaniel they had at the time (the new puppy hadn't arrived yet), is a gorgeous dog and beyond sweet. If I could deal with the grooming I'd have one of these too. (Face it, there are few breeds I wouldn't like to try at least once with the possible exception of terriers and toy breeds which are just not my bag of tea). They also had an old English Setter, Evie, who passed after my visit.

Evie

Robbie & Ann

My host, Karen, is Dublin's breeder. We did some sight seeing together, going out to see Skipton castle and wander a bit. It was quite amazing to see. Very different from the castles I saw in Spain which owed much to a hot climate and the Moors. In Skipton the importance of keeping warm became obvious along with the various strategies of defence. Here's some pictures of Karen and the castle:

Although the whole trip was great, the highlights were definitely Dublin and all the great people I met. I firmly think I'll just have to go back just to visit again and do some more sightseeing.

Dublin & Ann

Crufts - Part 2

2010-01-22T13:44:00.001-08:00

The next day was spent shopping – there were tons (by which I mean literally hundreds) of booths to see. They also have a huge section called “Discover Dogs”. This area features booths manned by breeders/fanciers and at least one dog for each and every breed recognized in England. This is where I was really able to get up close to many of the gundog breeds we don’t have here as well as many other breeds, particularly the continental European hounds. I'll do a separate post on them too.
That evening we attended Best in Show. As with the previous evening, they started out with a variety of dog sports demonstrations and competitions. These were followed by something called “Friends for Life”. The latter features approximately six pairs of composed of a person and a dog. Often the dog and person are work partners such as police officers or service partners such as a disabled person and their service dog. The stories of each pair are broadcast throughout the four day shown and the audience votes for their favourite via cell phone and online voting. The evening of Best In Show the award is presented to the winning pair. This year it went to a search and rescue dog that focuses on searching for Alzheimer’s patients and his handler.
They then did the two groups from the day – Working and Pastoral. After that they had a brief break and then there was Mary Read’s performance of musical heelwork to the music of Riverdance. I’m not normally a big fan of musical heelwork but this was truly exceptional. Apparently she has been doing this each and every year for the last twelve years of Crufts.
Finally, Best in Show. Of course there were lights and music and excitement in the audience, just like at Westminster. In the end I felt totally justified when a Canadian bred dog – the Sealyham Terrier Am/Can/Swedish/World Ch Efbe’s Hidalgo at Goodspice – went Best in Show. Runner-up BIS was the Standard Poodle.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip and one I would recommend to any dog lover.

Crufts - Part 1

2010-01-21T13:22:00.001-08:00

When the opportunity to attend Crufts last year came up, I was beyond excited. After all, the world’s largest dog show, what conformation enthusiast wouldn’t be? While in England, I would be visiting friends and visiting some English GSP kennels that had dogs related to my new puppy, Dublin aka Gamebourne King’s Ransom. My hosts had arranged for us to spend two days at Crufts as well.

Whenever people talk about Crufts they always mention the sheer size of it. When we first got there I was completely overwhelmed. It dwarfed any show I had ever been to and the whole day was devoted to nothing but gundogs. Gundogs represented the largest group at Crufts this year with an entry of over 5600 gundogs. It is a benched show so all the dogs must be present and on their benches except when in the ring. So, you can wander to your hearts content and see as many sporting breeds as you’d like. The UK recognizes many more breeds than we do so it was an opportunity to see a number of breeds I had heard of and many that I hadn’t even heard of before. I’m hoping to do a separate article for Maria in the future featuring photos and descriptions of the gundogs I saw that are not recognized in Canada or are very rare here as there were quite a few.

With an entry of over 260 GSPs, we spent most of Saturday watching GSP judging. The rings were of an average specialty size but judging there is quite different in terms of classes. The younger dogs are broken down by age. Champions compete in the open class with the class dogs. A Dog CC (basically Winners Dog) and a Bitch CC (Winners Bitch) are awarded. Best of Breed is chosen from the two of them. This makes earning CCs very challenging for a young dog. I took several pictures of the dogs in competition but unfortunately the lighting was not bright enough for my little digital camera so I have none to share from GSP judging. Dog CC went to MacGregor Pyzartyst With Moregin JW. I quite liked this dog, enough that I've toyed with making further inquiries occasionally. Bitch CC and Best of Breed went to Sh Ch Barleyarch Pickpocket. Pickpocket is the breed record holder for CCs. She is owned and bred by Sue & Mike Harris of Barleyarch GSPs, and handled by Sue. She went on to make the cut in the group in the evening. Now, I've long been a fan of the Barleyarch dogs so it was a real treat to see so many of them in the ring and later to spend an evening with them.
In the late afternoon we went and found spots to watch the group and other entertainment in the main arena (there are five halls plus the arena – all devoted to the show). The evening show demonstrates how much more rounded Crufts is as compared to most other big shows. Westminster and our Show of Shows tend to focus almost strictly on conformation. At Crufts there was obedience, agility (both of them having individual and team events), as well as demonstrations on everything from dog/child safety to health care to therapy work. In the evening the winners of such events put on demonstrations for the public. One of the highlights was a team of Golden Retrievers (see photo) that did group obedience displays together to music much like the horse displays that are found at higher levels at equine events.

Another class that was done in the evening that I found very interesting was the gameskeeper class. All dogs competing must work a minimum number of hours on a working game farm each year to be eligible to compete in the class. Many of the dogs were shown by the gameskeepers themselves. A lovely young lady and her German Wirehaired Pointer won. She is a fourth generation gameskeeper.

The group itself featured some truly stunning gundogs. Some breeds look quite different from their North American counterparts, particularly the coated breeds like the setters and the spaniels. Others, including the GSPs, would be right at home and do well in any North American ring. A few breeds, including Vizslas and German Wirehaired Pointers, stood out for the extreme quality of the entries as compared to the average seen here. (I’m sure that comment will get me in loads of trouble here :) In the end the Vizsla went on to win the group.Personally I liked several of them but the GWP - Freddy and the Bracco Italiano (ie Italian Pointer) Axel really stood out to me. I'm thinking there may be a bracco here one of these days as I was totally taken with the breed.

Freddy - Freddy von Kapellenhof at Bareve

Axel - Axel del Monte Alagro

Judging & Crufts

2010-01-21T13:05:00.001-08:00

This is a repeat of what's been posted on the dog blog minus my rant about Popular Sires. I figured you might be interested in my adventures at Crufts as well.

At this time last year I was driving everyone around me crazy as I prepared for my trip in early March to the UK, Crufts, and most importantly to pick up the Monkey Man (aka Dublin) and meet his family. Obviously that's not in the cards this year. But it makes this a perfect time to share some pictures from my trip and all the fun stuff and great people I met there. However that's for another post - possibly today, possibly tomorrow.

As I sat at the kitchen table the other night with the Monkey Man at my feet, I wondered why I wasn't berating him for putting a huge hole in the top of a 400 varikennel. He had stuck his head through that hole (yeah, it was that big!) and was waiting for me when I got home looking like a strange, unwatered Chia pet. I know he isn't fond of crates but in a household with this many dogs you have to spend some time in a crate, particularly when there's no one home. Face it, I have a real weakness for the Monkey Man no matter how much trouble he gets into and he gets into lots and lots of trouble. I've been thinking that it was time to get him into the show ring as he is slowly starting to fill out and lose that teenage lankiness. We practise stacking and baiting but not gaiting as I can't run at all at the moment. Anyway, back to the other night. I realized that I really want to show him myself. I know Dad and Lindsay would be glad to show him but I want to do it myself. I haven't been able to comfortably show a dog for a long long time and I'm really looking forward to it. So, the Monkey Man will be my first show dog post-recovery. I bet we knock the socks off everyone :)

I have been invited to judge Sweepstakes for a giant schnauzer club this summer. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not yet approved for giants so a sweeps is a nice way to work with the breed in the ring. It's also a chance to see more than the occasional giant entered at a show. We have very few giants at least in my part of Ontario so seeing more than one or two is always a treat. They warned me the entry would not be large as the total specialty entry is likely to be quite small but I'm excited about it nonetheless.

Yes, I'm Behind Again...

2010-01-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

I told you this one was harder to write. I cannot explain how much having a date for the surgery has lifted me. I feel so much better just knowing it is coming to an end.

I've been watching a few new tv series - we're renting Fringe, which I am really really enjoying. Pseudo scientific biology is just too much fun not to love. It's like the X-Files with biology instead of aliens.

I've also been watching The Republic of Doyle which is a brand new series on tv that is Canadian and set in Newfoundland. Made you laugh just thinking about, didn't it? It reminds me of the old Magnum P.I. series and the other old tv private eye shows that were big when I was much younger - things like Simon & Simon, the Rockford Files, etc.

I received a ton of books for Christmas and have been working my way through the pile.

Santa Olivia - by Jacqueline Carrey - beautiful if unusual take on the werewolf in a hopefully distant future. Made me think of Zorro at his best. Mind you I don't recall Zorro ever having a lesbian lover, etc. but that is the gift of Carrey. If you've never read her Kushiel books, they are well worth it.

The Spiderwick Chronicles - by I'm not sure who - I saw the movie and decided I wanted to read the books. I admit when I conceived this idea I had thought that the movie represented only the first book and not all five. While very enjoyable, but meant for a very young audience, I had read all five within a day. They took about an hour apiece. Having said that, the fact that I spent five hours that day reading says something about how enjoyable a read they were.

I'm now reading Kushiel's Justice and have Kushiel's Mercy waiting for me (both by Jacqueline Carrey). The first Kushiel Trilogy (starting with Kushiel's Dart) is an all time favourite of mine with Phedre no Delauney no Montreve featuring as one of my favourite heroines ever. I have read and reread the series many times. This meant that the second series had a lot to live up to and while I enjoyed the first book, Kushiel's Scion, I was not so enamored of it that I longed to read the second book, Kushiel's Justice. I had purchased it but it was sitting gathering dust on the shelf. When Blade gave me the third one, Kushiel's Mercy, for Christmas I decided to give it another try. I'm really glad I did as the second one has been a really great read. I don't think I'll ever love Imriel the way I love Phedre but he has grown a lot as a character. I'm looking forward to starting Kushiel's Mercy shortly.

Friday evening was a friend's last night at work so we decided to take her out for a few drinks after we closed the branch. I had finished earlier so I went home for a few hours and then returned to the branch just before closing. On my way back to the branch, I had the music cranked and was enjoying the manoeuvrability of Mom's little Nissan as opposed to my lumbering van. I don't know if it was eighties night on the radio or what but they kept playing songs from my early teens - things like Duran Duran's The Reflex. It put one of those silly grins on my face and for a little while I was a very young girl who loved really loud music again singing at the top of her lungs. Ironically enough, once we reached Moxie's they were playing some old eighties music as well and we were comparing notes on favourite old music.

I've resolved to attempt to boost my music library with some of my old favourites.

Surgery!!

2010-01-14T15:55:00.000-08:00

I have a date for my knee surgery - March 18th, 2010. Yeah!!! I can't wait. The end is in sight.

Catch Up

2010-01-12T05:43:00.000-08:00

As you've probably noticed, I find it much more difficult to do entries for my personal blog than for the dog blog. I'd like to say this is because the dogs take up a lot of my life but I know I'd get more than a few nudges indicating that was not my best excuse ever.
Often I end up feeling like I'm just whining about difficulties that we all face in life. What I'm thinking and feeling is rarely all that fascinating and I wonder why you'd be interested.
So, when I saw Julie & Julia about a modern woman (Julie) who blogs her attempts to complete all the recipes of Julia Child's masterpiece it gave me an idea. No, I will not be recreating Julia Child's cookbook. A) It's been done. B) I can't afford to get any fatter. C) I've killed lobsters and will never make them ever again no matter how good they taste.

The idea that did come forth from it was to try to spend on time on other things I do - books I read, recipes I try, movies I see, etc mixed in with the day to day chaos of my life.

I'm trying to keep myself writing - if you read any of this or the dog blog let me know. It helps to keep me writing. A few years back I became clinically depressed and found it increasingly difficult to write. I cancelled contracts with magazines and closed my biweekly column in Dog News. I just couldn't do it. I'm hoping these blogs represent a step forward on getting myself back on track. Now, you're all stuck in therapy with me lol

A Pirate Christmas

2009-12-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

My big Christmas treat was our Pirate Gathering. The Pirate Queens began many (and I do mean many) years ago with girls writing bad romance novels based on women pirates sailing the high seas on a ship called the "Anne Bonny". Anne Bonny was a real woman pirate who is related to me distantly. The whole idea of women pirates struck us as terribly romantic and exciting. The bloody reality never really crossed our minds and as a general rule still doesn't. The final version of the Pirate Queens came about approx 18 years ago. It includes myself (Brenna), Pin (the pin-striped pirate), Blade (I think the name says it all), and Red (pretty much self-explanatory as well). In the years since we try to get together as often as possible with all of us getting together almost once per year although Blade is harder to get together with as she is in California these days and it's a bunch more expensive to get her here.
This was a special Christmas as we were all together along with Blade's husband, Red's husband and daughter, and Pin's youngest son. Below is Red's family's Christmas Tree and Blade's husband.

Pin's Youngest Son

Red's Husband & Daughter

Blade & Husband

There was the usual talking and banter. It is amazing that in 18 years so little and yet so much changes. I wish we lived closer together. I don't have any really close female friends here. The Pirates are scattered and my other best friend, my sister, lives in BC. I really like lots of the ladies I work with but I'm shy about getting to know them better. I'd like to but it isn't something I find easy to do.

We did our usual present exchange and I must admit it is very nice to exchange pressies (presents) without having to deal with time delays on Skype when talking to Blade. I got some great books which I shall eventually review for you. Pin gave me the new Star Trek movie - which I absolutely adore. Who knew I possessed an inner trekkie? (More on that shortly.) I also have Red's newest recording. As per usual she sounds divine, even when singing opera. Below are some pics of us opening our presents. The Pirate Project was a great success, I am pleased to say. In retrospect it was an awfully ambitious project but I am very happy with the end results. I may include pictures of my favourite pages from it in a future blog.

Pin

Red

Blade

Back to Star Trek for a minute. The Pirates have a long history of unusual discussions on a very very wide range of topics. One of the ones that came up this time was "if you lived in the Star Trek 'verse (means universe for non fan fic readers) which Star Trek race would you belong to?" After much discussion we concluded that Pin would be a Vulcan, Blade would be a Romulan, Red would be a Betazoid, and I would be a brash, impetuous human - much like Captn Kirk. I can live with that. In some backhanded way I think it is even complimentary lol

Another tradition in which we always engage is the singing of Christmas Carols. Red, as you may have gathered, is an internationally renown opera singer with a voice like an angel. She also plays a mean piano. Pin is equally proficient on piano and has a lovely voice all of her own. She is the only atheist I know who sings in a church choir because she loves singing. Blade sings for strangers while walking her dog but also has a very good voice. I mouth the words to prevent tears of pain in those who surround us. I can't sing at all. So this year, I devoted myself to getting pics of the others singing. As well as a few of Red's daughter joining us. The little guy in Pin's arms is her youngest son. He doesn't sing much yet but give him time. His older brother is already well on his way with the piano and sings better than his father (a criminal lawyer)'s clients.

Blade felt it would be great to tattoo the baby so she sent tattoos home with them. I like the diaper with spank me written on it :)

Red's daughter got a stamp set and she and I had a great time covering ourselves in ink (which does not come out with soap and water - thanks Pin!). I even got a special stamp just to see if I could make the music man jealous.

We had lots of great conversations which have given me multiple ideas for upcoming blogs - wait and see.

Someone asked my thoughts on Christmas...

2009-12-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

We stopped putting up a Christmas tree or celebrating much at all after Joanna took the kids out west. It doesn't really feel like Christmas without them here and the season always acts as a heavy reminder that they're not here.

We travel back and forth as much as possible but think of how you'd feel if you couldn't see your kids on the holidays. At least there is a possibility Jacob will come back next year. He's of age so he can leave the province and he's talking about going to George Brown for their cooking program next fall.

So, if I seem a bit down, it isn't intentional. I just really miss them at this time of year.

We're almost there...

2009-12-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

I've nothing left to do but wrap and finish my Pirate Project. Mind you I still have a lot to do for the latter so I'm really not that close and I've discovered a few things about size and closings and trying to make things fit. Talented I am not. I've persuaded the music man to get me pictures for it which is a huge achievement unto itself. Now to see if I can get him to come to the pirate gathering for an hour or so. That would be a coup.

Work is going well despite a major screw up on my part last week. I hate screwing up. Which is surprising considering how often I do it lol

Christmas cards and pictures still coming in.

This blog seems to be helping. I feel like writing more again so perhaps I will pick up my keyboard again and do some real writing. Dogs In Canada has changed direction a fair bit in the last few years so my normal fortes probably wouldn't be all that welcome but maybe some other magazine would take me in.

There were other things I had planned on telling you but I've forgotten what they were (yeah, I'm getting old) so I'll hold off later.

Have there ever been more heavenly words uttered...

2009-12-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

I'm done my Christmas shopping. The last person I had to buy for was the music man and I finally found what I wanted. Now to pray he likes it :)

I may have the ultimate piece for a dog breeding paper loving person - craft paper featuring german shorthaired pointers - yes, you heard right, that's craft paper featuring crazy gsps and other sporting breeds. I'm in love :) I also found a die cut of a guy and his GSP out hunting. Check them out:

Ready for Christmas?

2009-12-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

As we pull into the stretch I find myself thinking of everything that I still need to finish before Christmas. I've got most of my shopping done. I'm still waffling on what to get the music man but the rest is thankfully finished - at least the rest that needs to be purchased. The homemade stuff is a different story. As I waited for materials to arrive and juggled work, puppies and exhaustion with getting the pirate project finished - I ended up behind. I should have at least one completed before our gathering and I'm really hoping I can get them all done but I'm starting to feel under the gun to finish it. I may have to enlist Dad's aid. He's very good at cutting, etc - and actually does a much straighter job than I do lol

The puppies head home today and tomorrow much to everyone's relief. See the other blog for details on what a heartless fiend I am that I'm actually cheerful they're leaving.

I wanted to mention a few of my favourite sites for the holidays for those of you in a giving spirit.

The S.A.D. Draft Horse Rescue: http://www.drafthorserescue.com/index.html

This is an Ontario charity that saves draft horses sent to slaughter/meat auctions, rehabilitates them and adopts them out. I visit their site routinely. I have a real weakness for animals with hooves the size of dinner plates and one day - when funds and space permit - would love to be able to rescue horses as well as dogs. Like all rescues their expenses always far outweigh donations so if you love horses this may be a nice way to give back.

If you favour large dogs rather than large horses check out http://www.trinityofhope.on.ca/ Trinity of Hope Dog Rescue.

They specialize in large breed like Saint Bernards and Newfoundlands. They also never refuse to help when you need a hand with another rescue. They've helped me with German Shorthaired Pointer and Siberian Husky rescues over the years.

Yes, my favourite charities are all animal related. When it comes to giving for the two-footers I generally do my donating year round through various campaigns.

Ever had to finally decide...

2009-12-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

say yes to one and let the other one slide? It's not often easy and it's not often kind. Did you ever have to finally decide?

I'm sure that someone besides a beer commercial deserves credit for that song but the beer commercial is all I can remember at the moment. It about sums up my position with the girls from Becca's litter. I took pictures of them Monday to try to help me decide and then I went on to ask opinions from my various gsp/show dog lists. I got back a fairly even split on who I should choose with several mentionning Mocha and Cappucino as well. It is still between Beans and Latte for me and I'm really starting to lean towards Latte. Latte reminds me intensely of Bug (her great aunt) as a puppy and while Bug may indeed be a royal pain in the a** much of the time she is also a very very nice bitch from a conformational standard.

I watched the finals of the American So You Think You Can Dance last night. I'm favouring Jacob although they were all really really good. That man is sooo flexible - and I actually mean that in a non-nudge-nudge-wink-wink way. Tonight I'll watch the results while I do my Christmas baking. Thursday is our pot luck at work and I still need to do my baking for the vet office, Dad's ladies at the town office (they're not really his, please don't misunderstand - that's just how I keep them identified in my mind), etc so tonight will be busy. I'm thinking I'll do cheesecake squares (two kinds - pumpkin and Bailey's) and maybe some lemon white chocolate shortbread cookies. I'm debating adding cranberries to the latter. No decision yet though.

We had a frightening moment at work yesterday. Someone parked in front of the branch hit the gas instead of the brake yesterday and drove right into our front door. She then tried to reverse and spun around taking out our ABM sign (and I mean taking it right out of the concrete) and then hitting to other vehicles parked out front. It was pretty scary but thankfully no one was injured so it could have been much worse.

An Up And Down Weekend

2009-12-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

All is well no but I had a semi-major meltdown on Friday when the surgeon's office informed me that it would be another 4-8 months before I would see the second surgeon for the consult. Once I gained control again I spoke with them again and arranged an appt for Jan. 13th to discuss skipping the second consult. I think I'll lose it if I have to wait another 4-8 months. I'm holding on by threads as it is.

Had a blow out with the music man as well but that is mending.

We also had our branch Christmas dinner. We went to Osso Bucco in Brampton. The food was divine and there was so much of it. I was full before we reached the main course. I had a veal tenderloin done to perfection (I like it blue so it has to practically moo when I eat it to be what I like. There was salad (with a creamy goat cheese sprinkled on top), pasta (loved the sauces), the main course, and dessert platters (I had a tartufo). I love good italian food. Take good food and mix it with great company and you have a wonderful evening. I'm lucky. I work with a great bunch of ladies.

Getting Caught Up

2009-12-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Last night was my catch up night. I got the website updated and you can see my take on the munchkins on the dog blog - http://nuthatchgspsthebreederfiles.blogspot.com As you can tell I'm still torn between Latte & Beans. I'm thinking that I'll get some stacked photos taken this weekend to see if that clarifies things a bit for me.

I also ended up watching So You Think You Can Dance. Normally, I'm not much for reality tv. I admit to an occasional moment of watching American Idol. I did fall for Adam Lambert's voice last season. If I'm watching tv though and it's on, I really both the Canadian and American versions of So You Think You Can Dance. Dance isn't something you get a chance to see a lot of most of the time unless you a) watch a lot fo music videos - and that's not me or b) attend a lot of musicals and live performances which doesn't fit well into my schedule either as a general rule. By watching the show I get my fill of dance and I get a huge variety of styles of dance including some I'm less familiar (crumping anyone?). I adored Vincent from the last Canadian one and I'm really liking the finalists for the American one.

We don't have cable so I don't really watch a lot of tv period although I do tend to rent whole seasons when they come out on dvd and watch my favourites - House, The Mentalist, Bones, Castle, anything by Joss Whedon, etc.

I have a friend who often includes soundtracks to her notes to help set her mood in the mind of the reader. I thought that for curiousity I'd see what conclusions you could come to based upon what I was listening to last night as I was working. Here's the soundtrack list:

Sublime's Santeria

The Rolling Stones' Blinded By Rainbows

David Guetta/Akon's Sexy Chick

10CC's Things We Do For Love

Burton Cummings' Fine State of Affairs

Black Eyed Peas' Let's Get It Started

Johnny Rivers' Slow Dancing

KD Lang - Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah

Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment

The Spoons' Those Old Emotions

Etta James' At Last

James' This Bed Is On Fire

The Spoons' Arias & Symphonies

Can you draw any conclusions from this list??

My Weekend

2009-12-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

Yup, it snowed while I was in Rhode Island and for dangerous driving reasons I did not end up doing much sight seeing. I did have a great time though. The first day Lucy won her class at the specialty which pleased me. She isn't mature enough to be competitive for the points but she is doing well against youngsters the same age as her. I brought her home with me and I think she'll do just fine up here for now. On Sunday, she went second in her class so no disgrace.

It was Buffy's first time in the ring in six months. We pulled her the first day as Sarah had a conflict and Buffy isn't a good dog to just hand off to a stranger. On Sunday though she went third in the open bitch class against some very nice bitches. She might have done better if she'd been happier but Sarah's going to work on that. Buffy is staying down there for awhile to see if we can finish her American championship.

The highlight though was Charlie. The old man will be eleven at the end of the month and he danced around the house like a puppy when I gave him a bath and asked if he wanted to be a show dog. The first day he went second in the Veteran sweeps and Veteran Dog classes and the second day he won. I was very pleased. The dog who beat him was several years younger and I had many folks tell me Charlie should have won in their opinion. He enjoyed being in the ring and hearing the applause.

There is something special about old dogs and veterans. When he gets in a ring now it makes me a bit teary; I wonder if this will be the last time he gets to show off like he loves to do. I'm so very proud of him and all that he has accomplished. He is our first homebred GSP champion, our first homebred group winner, and then he just kept going. Most importantly, he is still the heart of the house.

I got to see many friends while there too which is always nice. I don't get down to the US too often and few of them make it up here so shows offer me a good chance to reconnect with old friends. One, who had recently lost her old girl to breast cancer, reminded me of how precious our old ones are to us. People often think of dog shows as being places where dogs spend long hours in crates, taken out for only a few minutes and then returned but that isn't usually the case. Travelling together and spending time together while you're on the road, in the ring or doing whatever sport is your thing brings you much closer together and you bond over that time. The dogs enjoy it as much as the owners. Charlie was thrilled when I asked if he wanted to come with me and I was and am privileged that he would prefer to spend his time with me on the road then sleeping on the couch.

I'll add some more pictures from the weekend later.

This last photo was sent to me by Heinz's family. He remains a very handsome and well loved young man.

Possible Addiction

2009-12-03T15:45:00.001-08:00

Is it possible to have an addiction to paper? We're not talking fancy paper that tastes good or hides secrets written in invisible ink. We're talking about plain old 12 x 12 craft paper. Admittedly in a wide variety of themes and designs but still nothing exotic. (Although I must admit, I tried to find some exotic paper for Blade's Christmas gift but apparently fetish, BDSM and craft paper don't go together very well?? Mind you I did find some rather naughty stickers!)

I see it and instantly feel a need to have it in my growing number of paper drawers on my rapidly diminishing desk space. What I will ever use it for I don't know. I'm just not talented or devoted enough to make that many projects before I die. Particularly not at the rate I'm acquiring it.

Don't think me odd, after all people like to look at much stranger things, but I like poring through the piles and looking at the various designs and imagining what it could become. It's kind of like the tunes you compose in your head but cannot translate into notes on a page or - in my case at least - sounds from your voice either. If only I could hum or sing but alas I could make cats killing one another sound delightful by comparison.

I think EBay has become the modern devil, tempting me to fiscal irresponsibility as I find stacks of paper just waiting to be opened and discovered. Not that I was ever good at resisting temptation but those stories are best left untold...

It's Packing Time ...

2009-12-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get myself organized to leave tomorrow morning. I did laundry this morning and have my list of what needs packing ready. Going places with the dogs (in this case Buffy & Charlie) is always somewhat complicated. While they would probably love to dine on nothing but doggie bags while away, I need to consider packing leads, food, dishes, water buckets, blankets and crates for them. After all that is packed, I can almost guarantee they'll sleep on the bed with me, eat leftovers from my meals, and drink out of the hotel room toilet.

Sarah has asked me to bring her chocolate beer. She had some the last time she was in Canada and can't find it in MA. I've been to two liquor stores so far and both are sold out. Still, this is Ontario and every town, no matter how small or large, has a liquor store so I'll keep trying on my way out of the country tomorrow. Personally - chocolate and beer just doesn't do it for me. I would much rather a good Australian red wine or a smooth single malt scotch. Speaking of which I found two new reds (one called Jester and I think the other was a Magpie Estates Barossa region Shiraz) at the liquor store while hunting for chocolate beer that I have to try. One (the Magpie) has a GSP on the front of the bottle being walked by a penguin. Needless to say I bought both.

I use dog shows to help alleviate my travel bug. I love going somewhere I've never been before and just wandering around. I get lost. I get un-lost. I may stop to look at things. And shop. Or, I may just drive for hours. When I'm at shows I can take the dogs with me which is something I really enjoy, particularly when travelling alone.

This time around I'm hoping to get to explore Cape Cod. The show is in Providence (Rhode Island) and I'm staying just outside of Boston. The coast is mine and we all know how much pirates like the coast :)

It's a Good Day ....

2009-12-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

I'm on track to make my sales goals for this quarter which is an unusual thing for me. Last quarter was the first one where I made my goal. I kow it sounds silly but I was very happy with myself when I made goal and it seems to have given me more confidence in what I'm doing and that's paying off this quarter as far as I can tell.

All is well with the music man which I'm sure is contributing to my good mood as well. I got to dig him out of trouble for a change. (I like not being the one in trouble!)

Mom flies back tonight after visiting Jo and the boys for the last two weeks. It's an odd thing to say I suppose at my age but I missed her. Normally I touch base with her throughout the day via email and bounce both work and personal ideas off her. She's also the ideal travelling companion if you need to take a jaunt to a dog show. Is it wierd to have a mother who is a friend too?

The Music Man...

2009-11-30T07:48:00.000-08:00

In re-reading that last post, I realize I may have given the wrong impression. Being hot and exciting is certainly not the only thing I love about the music man and it's only a very small part of the reason why I love him.

The music man has a knack for making me feel like I found something that I'd written off as being a part of my future. He's the fairy tale. When I'm with him, he makes me feel good about myself which is something I don't normally feel. With him I feel sexy, smart and happy. Peaceful in fact, which is a word that I can't remember anyone using to describe me before. Turbulent is usually more my speed and calm and peaceful feels damn nice.

I can be myself with him - like you get to be with your best friends. You can relax and just enjoy. It's one of those things you know you'll regret if you screw it up. Anyway, enough singing the music man's praises; his ego is big enough as it is lol

You may want to skip this one ...

2009-11-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

I'm having one of those days where you question everything you do. Was that the right decision? Should I have been more patient? Am I being too patient? You know - a day where nothing you do is going to be right, guaranteed.

Work is going well. An opportunity came up to post for a job in a different Georgetown branch but I think I'm going to take a pass on it. The job appeals a lot but the shop doesn't and I really love the people I work with.

I do need to be less bored (in general) though. Money seems to drip through my fingers when I have nothing better to do. I think I'm having a week where I feel decidedly too vanilla. Remember when you were younger and you did crazy things and life was just so exhilirating? If you were me you jumped out of planes, you travelled, you did things just for the adrenaline. Now, I'm a boring old woman who goes to work everyday and is far too dependable and responsible. I suppose these are not bad qualities but every once in awhile you get that itch that says just do it - whatever the thing is that suddenly caught your eye.

I think part of my dissatisfaction is coming from my relationship with the music man. Don't get me wrong - it can be very exciting and hot when it's on but when it's not I worry that I'm behaving like a doormat and that's just not me. It's a fine line that divides being understanding when someone is going through a tough time and facing events that fall into that "life event" category you see on your benefits statements from work and being too understanding and not standing up for yourself and what you need. I'm apparently straddling it in a way that I am not finding satisfying in the least. Course I was stupid and let me heart get involved. My brain says one thing and my heart another. Bah, humbug I say!

Slow Day

2009-11-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

In non-romantic news, things are going well. I've got all the puppies spoken for except mine who does admittedly still need a foster home. I even have a few deposits down for the next litter and a possible foster home for Cello.

Mom is still out in BC with my sister and the boys. They went north to Tofino for a few days and apparently had a good time. Alex is claiming he's ill so he can't go to school and can spend more time with his grandmother.

Dad and I are coping despite my alarm which decided not to go off this morning. The dogs let me sleep until 9:30 - it was wonderfully decadent. Thankfully I didn't work until noon so I didn't have to worry about being late.

I did finish the powerpoint presentation for judges that the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Canada asked me to do. I need to send it out to all the directors now so they can make any suggestions they wish and then it will be good to go for presentations across Canada. It's my contribution for the year as past president.

I got my Christmas present from Pin and have been shamelessly indulging. I'm hoping to watch it for a third time this weekend lol I may be old but apparently I'm not dead yet.

Puppy people are coming on Sunday. This means it's cleaning day in the morning. Yech. If I could afford to have someone else clean my house I can guarantee I would. I hate cleaning and it's been raining all week so you can guess how much mud the dogs have dragged in.

I'm ashamed to admit it but I'm still not sure if Bug is pregnant or not. If she is, she's not having many cause she just isn't that big yet and she's 6 weeks along. I'm going to dig out the fetal monitor and see if I can find any heartbeats. If I can't I may take her to the vets for an ultrasound just to be on the safe side.

Jeannie put a hole in the fence just so the tart could get into Frost's pen. I am less than amused. She, on the other hand, seems exceedingly satisfied. At least one of us is...

For those of you interest in life in the doghouse...

2009-11-26T11:14:00.001-08:00

you can see our canine blog at http://nuthatchgspsthebreederfiles.blogspot.com

See you there...

A Gray Day

2009-11-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

I"m getting really tired of gray November weather. I'd even prefer snow at this point. The damp is dreary to say the least and my bones are making me regret getting out of my warm bed each day.

Red commented that she reads cheap romances but invariably feels disappointed by the end and Blade asked why she read them then. I read them too when I need a break from my normal reading. Not that my normal reading is all that intellectual but it does at least have a plot as a general rule. The problem I find with cheap romances is that invariably about halfway through the book, I put it down in disgust and stop reading it. I find myself feeling cheated. Surely I, with my minimal skills, could write something better than this crap. Of course this always invites the question well then why don't you for which I have yet to come up with an answer. Maybe one of these days.

No news on the music man front which is probably why I'm feeling as dreary as the weather. I find myself thinking that a few days of doing nothing but soaking up sun would go over well. Preferably on a beach with lots and lots of tall, frosty, drinks and a ton of books. I'd like to have nothing to do all day but read, drink and sleep. Mind you if that were to actually happen I'd be bored too quickly, miss the dogs and be lonely all at once. So much for a vacation lol

Actually the dogs have been pretty good. I've been telling them all about my romantic woes since it seems wiser than confiding in my father. Delceg, my Hungarian visitor, climbed on the chair last night after I complained about my lack of a love life and reached over to first plant a very wet kiss on my face, followed by his version of a hug - which knocked me off my chair and down onto the kitchen floor. Who says dogs don't empathize?

Two in one day, I'm on a roll ...

2009-11-25T12:22:00.001-08:00

I forgot a few things (so what else is new) ...

There's a GWP rescue at the local pound. I'm worried about him. Apparently he is not doing well. GWPs and GSPs often don't do great in pounds. They need to be with people and they need to have their exercise needs met. Too little of either one and you can get a hyper animal that loses social skills and withdraws from people, focussing more on toys and romps by his/herself. Klaus is in such a situation. He is not doing well and they have removed him from the adoption floor temporarily. I'm worried he'll become unadoptable if things continue like this. I would love to take him here and find him a home but that means another mouth to feed in the meantime. This would not necessarily bother me so much but I'm not the main billpayer so I do have to respect others opinions on the matter. I just get upset when I can't help them.

My Christmas projects continue and I'm not doing too badly despite much teasing. It would help if I was more decisive and didn't buy thigs that catch my eye for the project only to reject them later when I find something else along the same theme that I like more. I should have the Pirates ready for Christmas. The Idaho Special will take longer but that's okay, it stays with me until my next visit to Idaho so I figure I have a bit of time. Lots of time, if I end up having surgery in January (which is looking increasingly unlikely but I'm not ready to give up hope yet).

I have given in to a long time desire and agreed that once I have a firm date for the surgery I will get a laptop. If I'm going to be stuck on my ass for that long, I'll need a computer or go insane. (No comments from the peanut gallery regarding the current status of my sanity please.) I can't believe that my surgeon's office hasn't heard back yet from the surgeon they are asking for a second consult from. It's been over a month now. I'm worried that they will hear back and it will be a few months before I can see him which might be more than I can bear. This may end up being one of those occasions where Heather the witch emerges and gets bossy.

I got a great picture of Sonnet from Nancy in Texas the other day. She recently finished her IABC championship. I think she's singled out in her pursuit of her American championship and needs only majors now. I know she's got at least one leg towards her Juniors Hunter title as well. I'm invariably evious of how Nancy accomplishes with her dogs. They all get shown, hunt, obedience, agility. It's very impressive. I'm lazy by comparison lol I'm hoping she'll have her at the Nationals in Florida this year. I'm planning on going and hopefully meeting some of my southern friends as well as seeing the ones I get to see more routinely.

OK, I fell off the wagon again...

2009-11-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

I know, seven months since my last post is not consistent blogging. I'd offer many great excuses in my defence - new boyfriend, problems with the leg, but in reality it's just me forgetting that someone might have an interest in my life again.

I realize that that last paragraph will immediately have a few of you going - what new boyfriend? details please! - but you'll have to do without. We're still together but going through a rough patch and I'm just not up to writing about it until I feel like I'm standing on firmer ground again.

So, onto other things. It would take forever to get you guys caught up on the various activities of the last few months so we'll just keep moving forward and I will eventually get to blogging those past trips that I keep meaning to tell you all about.

Becca's puppies came upstairs this past Sunday. They're very cute, fat little bundles. I'm already seeing a few I really like which is always bad news as far as Dad is concerned. Maybe I can find a nice foster home for one of the girls. They're eating softened kibble already and can clean a dish faster than their mother which is saying something.

I'm looking forward to the specialties in Boston. It looks like Charlie is only one of two veterans so his chances are good even if you ignore how great he looks for an old fart. Buffy is really starting to mature so I'm hoping she'll be in the hunt for points as well. Sarah has her heart set on Lucy but I don't think Lucy's mature enough yet to compete for the points so I'm thinking that after this we'll pull Lucy from competition for a bit and concentrate on Buffy. I'm just looking forward to a break. I'm really stressed lately between the music man, my leg and just being overtired so I'm hoping that a few days away will help me kickstart myself back into gear. Besides, I've never been to Boston or Rhode Island before and I love exploring. I'm trying to talk the music man into coming with me but I'm doubting he'll be able to get away from work.

I have also learned new things today. First and foremost, do not try to dry your hair by hanging your head out the car window while driving. I discovered that Mom had taken her hair dryer with her to BC as I hurried to get ready for work this morning and ran around with wet hair. In an attempt (that actually kind of worked) not to show up at work with wet hair I stuck my head out the window as I drove. Let me tell you, it is very hard to drive straight with your head out the window.

On a lighter note:

Did you know that chickadees swarm like teenagers? The bird feeder was only empty of seeds for a day - two days max. So we refilled it. Out of nowhere, like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, there are chickadees everywhere. The woodpeckers and nuthatches are playing it smart and keeping their distance until the feeding frenzy dies down. Meanwhile the chickadees are jostling each other at the feeder. The feathers are flying and downy breasts are being thrust out in a bid to prove whose the better bird. The dogs think it's better than tv lol

Sorry about the lapse...

2009-02-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

OK, life got ahead of me there for a bit. There's a lot to catch up on so I may put Spain off for a day or so. Anyone know how to shrink a movie? I have a great one from when we were in Morocco and saw the snake charmer (who put a viper around Jacob's neck) but it's 19 MB. I'd love to upload it for you, I just don't know how.
About a week or so ago Kaylee decided that her puppies needed to start eating something more substantial and on one of her walks, she paused for a second, dove into the snow and came up with a soon-to-be-very-dead bunny. On the one hand it was very upsetting and I had to wake someone up to dispose of the body (there are some things I just don't do, especially at 7 in the morning). On the other hand, I had to admire how she located the bunny even though it was under a ton of snow and caught it just like that.
I've updated the website with photos of Kaylee and Delceg's puppies at http://nuthatch.virtualave.net/kayleedecegpups.html and put up some pics of Shiraz and Mac's brood as well - http://nuthatch.virtualave.net/shirazmacpups.html I've named them all after liqueurs since their mother is named for my favourite type of wine and their father for my very favourite single malt scotch.
I also finished my first scrapbook. It reeks of me - lines are crooked and off-centre and you can tell I possess the artistic abilities of a five year old (and not a very talented five year old at that). Thankfully, it's recipient, a lady I work with who is leaving the branch, took it's intentions to heart and ignored my lack of skills and poor sense of colour. I took pictures os you all can criticize to your heart's contents and hopefully make some constructive suggestions as well. I did have a ton of fun doing it although Dad mentionned it was probably the most expensive idea I had come up with in a while. Anyway, here it is.

In other news, I have started taking Lindsay to handling classes. Lindsay owns Gryphon, one of Becca and Delceg's puppies, and has decided she'd like to learn to show dogs. Always appreciative of someone with longer, more graceful and significantly better functionning legs than mine, I have taken her up on it and we're attending classes together. Our first class was last night and I'm very pleased to be able to say she is a natural. I have high hopes for her come April when I start showing in Canada again.

Anyway, that's more than enough for now. Talk to you later.

Puppies & Spain

2009-02-07T17:38:00.001-08:00

Shiraz’s litter is doing well. So far so good. Kaylee’s litter has moved up to the living room and is having a ball. They’re a really fun bunch. I like having only six in a litter as they are much easier to take care of for both me and their mother and you have more time for each one than you do when you’re trying to cope with ten plus puppies. I need to get some pictures of both litters.
I’m thinking that I’ll start my Spanish adventure next in here. I promised to do a website as we have tons of photos and I actually kept notes of where we went, etc but I just can’t seem to find the time so perhaps I can do this instead.
I went to Spain last July with my nephew, Jacob. The idea grew out of my realization early last year that, since Jacob was getting older (he turned 17 last July), he wasn’t going to want to come back and spend summers with his grandparents and aunt every year. Instead he’d do normal teen things – get a job, earn some money, girlfriend, maybe go away to school, etc. I was worried that the coming summer would be our last one together and I decided that I wanted to do something with him that he would always remember.
I can’t really explain how I feel about Jacob other than to say that I love him and his brother Alex more than anyone else in the world and words don’t really describe the emotion very well. So, this was really important to me. I would end up promising Alex that I would do the same with him when he was old enough (he’s 13 now).
Why Spain? Years earlier when I had more money Joanna and I had discussed doing a driving tour of Spain. As Europe goes, Spain is on the less expensive side and it had the added appeal of being close enough for visits to Gibraltar and Morocco. I’m not sure if I’ll ever have enough cash to go to Africa so the possibility of even a day trip was a not to be missed one.
After that it just became a matter of doing the booking. We would start in Madrid, move down to Jerez (pronounced Heref in Castilian) where we would stay in an apartment, and then on to Granada before heading back to Madrid and then home with tons of day trips along the way. We would be staying in hotels in Madrid and Granada and the apartment in Jerez. In retrospect, it would have been nice to be doing an apartment the whole time as it was easily our favourite place we stayed.
I spent weeks learning how to drive standard as automatic cars are not easy to rent in Europe and are usually much more expensive. By the time we left I was bearable at it but you wouldn’t want to be behind me in heavy traffic.

Like sands in the hourglass these are the Days of Our Lives...

2009-02-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

Mojo:

I didn't lie, here's the pics I promised. They were taken by Jay and as you can see he's one great photographer.

Now on to my regularly scheduled wit...

The highlight of he day was certainly Shiraz's decision to have her puppies early. She started at 9:30ish this morning and finished at 4:30pm. All eleven puppies are doing well - 8 girls and 3 boys :) I'll post some pictures soon. Time really does pass like sands in an hourglass when you have to work and you sit there waiting for puppy updates. Mind you it doesn't pass much differently when you're sitting in the whelping box most of the time. There are those busy birthing moments and then the lull in between while you twiddle your thumbs and the mother shreds the bedding. Oh and the heat gets to you, making you perpetually long for a pillow.

In other news, Joanna is coming for a visit in April. I had hoped to go to Jacob's graduation but for reasons unknown the ceremony is in late May and I can't get more time off in May. I'm already taking 6 days off so I can manage things here at the house while Mom & Dad are in Scotland & Ireland. I'm going to look at the schedule in July & August and see if I can plan a visit for then. Who ever heard of having a graduation ceremony before school ends?? Does this mean they have to pass you if you've graduated already and then fail to show up for the rest of the semester??
Jacob has taken on a new job at a pizza place and is really excited about working there and learning to make pizza dough. Me, I'm thrilled he actually has a job he likes.
Finally in the extra exciting and totally shocking category, we have Dalwhinnie in Wildwood, New Jersey this past weekend. These were her first US shows and honestly I wasn't expecting much. Sarah was sure she could show her and I was just as sure this was not going to fly. For those of you who have never met Dal, I affectionately refer to her as my wingnut babe. Tons of energy and not a calm bone in her. Not to mention that she isn't particularly fond of people she doesn't know. These are not the makings of a great show dog. So, what does she do? She goes BW on Sunday and today she went WB (there was no WD) and BOS. Who'd a thunk?

More On Idahooooo

2009-01-29T14:25:00.001-08:00

How many different ways do you think I can mangle the word Idaho?

It's funny, I mentionned that I was going to take up scrapbooking to my family and they're immediate response was - "you??! scrapbooking" Geesh, you'd think I had displayed a lack of artistic talent before this. Come to think of it...

anyway, back to Idaho...

We spen the next few days alternating between relaxing and wandering about. We visited Bruneau River Canyon, which is where Jay's kennel name (Bruneau River GSPs) comes from. It was absolutely beautiful. Very deep (okay, I admit that I'm afraid of heaights and everything always seems a long way down but I'm sure it was quite deep). It's amazing to think what that inoccuous looking stuff that comes out of our taps can do over time. We took some great pictures both of the canyon and of a badger we saw on the way there and some kildeer we saw on the way back. Unfortunately, we had problems getting them off the camera memory card. Jay is still working on it and I'm fervently hoping he succeeds. In the meantime I have taken a few pictures from Idaho tourism sites to show you have amazing it is. Awe-inspiring is a good description of it. Beautiful doesn't capture just how very impressive it is.

BRUNEAU CANYON:

We also went looking for wild pheasants with Mojo (Flatlander's Mountain Magic - a dog co-owned by Jay, Betty and I) and Larken (Nuthatch's Leather'N'Lace, also co-owned by all three of us). Part of the reason for my trip to Idaho was to bring Larken out to Betty and Jay's, where she will live most of the time. We didn't find any birds but did get some great pictures which are in limbo with the Bruneau Canyon pics. In the meantime though I will upload some pics of Mojo and Larken to this blog later.
My trip home was relatively uneventful. I had a wonderful time and will hopefully get out there again soon.

LARKEN:

MOJO:

I'll post some better pics of Mojo tomorrow.

Idaho-ho-ho

2009-01-25T15:25:00.000-08:00

Idaho Day 1
Our first day we decided to visit Boise. Home of the best Huckleberry Fudge ever - or so I'm told as huckleberries aren't in season in January are fudge made with fresh huckleberries are nowhere to be found.
That morning I was presented with several nice gifts including a fantastic GSP poster.

Betty is an avid scrapper (doG, I hope that's the right term - it probably is a good description of her even if taken in it's non-crafty meaning but I think those stories should be saved for another time...) - as in she likes to make scrapbooks. She adn Jay got me this beautiful album with a cover made out of (or at least covered with) leaves. The inside is blank but it is a beautiful album for me to attempt to scrap with. I'm really not artistically talented so it is hard to say how this will turn out. Having had said that, I find myself avidly accumulating ideas for this and that. Even though Betty made sure I had all kinds of cardstock, fancy paper, ribbons, buttons, brads (sadly, not the the Pitt variety), stickers and rub ons to keep me occupied for ages, I just had to keep exploring my options when I got home. I visited the Canadian Miuchael's last night and was most disgusted that the prices were more than triple the US prices. So, of course I had to check out EBay - where I shopped til I dropped lol
Anyway, our first stop in Boise was the US Michael's which started to open my eyes as to how big a hobby this scrapbooking thing is. We made a few small purchases and then moved on to Cabela's. Now I've had and bred hunting dogs for about twelve or thirteen years and I have never been in a Cabela's. There are none in Canada for one thing. I've won lots of prizes from there and always been very pleased with them so this was a must see for me.

Here I indulged in fabulous (though not huckleberry) fudge and purchased some huckleberry sauce for pancakes to bring home to Mom and Dad. We also found some neat things for Jay with pheasants (his current obsession) on them.
We then grabbed a quick lunch and then on to Harry & David's, home of still more straight to your thighs items.
Finally, we settled in for an evening of playing with Reece, Wii and tv.

Idaho - Home of Potatoes Gone Bad...

2009-01-24T14:59:00.000-08:00

Lots to tell about Idaho. I went to visit Betty, my scrappy-dog mentor, and her family - Jay (the significant hubbie) and Reece (their son). I was also bringing along Larken (formerly known as Joan, now named for a gun maker).
Our trip to Idaho got off to an adventurous start. We were driving on the 190 heading for Buffalo when around the corner came a car going the wrong way on the highway. It almost hit us dead-on. Scared the &^*&^( out of me.
We made it to the airport alive. It was snowing and I packed up all my bags and Larken's cute little leopard-print travelling bag. The kindly airport shuttle guy pulled up in the mini-bus and picked us up. In line to pick up our tickets and check my suitcase, I made a very distressing discovery. I couldn't find my passport. I knew I'd brought it as I'd used it when I crossed the border. Petrified I started perusing the ground around me to see if I'd dropped it. I followed my trail all the way back outside to the shuttle stop. No luck, I was quickly running out of time to check in and I had no passport. George J., the kindliest airport shuttle man you will ever meet, offered to run me directly back to my car so I could check it out. Sure enough, it was on the car seat. So, I grabbed it and then he scooted me back to the terminal. Yeah!!! we made it!!!

Our first flight went from Buffalo to Detroit and it was smooth sailing. Larken slept all the way and was a perfect angel. At the terminal in Detroit I changed the puppy pad she was sleeping on and then shared some dinner with her before we boarded the flight ti Minneapolis/St Paul.
There were a lot of delays before we finally left and by the time we arrived in Minneapolis/ St Paul, it was past the time I was supposed to be on the final flight to Boise. I was sure I'd missed my flight and would end up spending the night in Minneapolis. But miracle of miracles, they had held my flight for me. So, thank you Northwest!
I made it to Boise, Idaho where Jay met me at the airport. Unfortunately, while I made the flight to Boise, my luggage didn't. So, I borrowed a pair of Betty's pjs that night and slept teh sleep of the way too tired traveller.
More tomorrow...

Catching Up (Aren't I Always...)

2009-01-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

The short version is that I had a great time in Idaho but lost a much treasured four-footed friend while I was away. I'm now home and I've survived my latest work crisis. The long version is...
One of you asked why I felt like a perpetual disapointment. Mostly, it relates to work. I had yet again managed to make a very stressful mess that needed resolving. While I absolutely love where I work and the people I work with, I don't particularly love my job. There are days where I really enjoy it but as a general rule I find it somewhat stressful. I was much happier as a teller but got bored too often and needed something a bit more involved. As a result I have been talking to my two wonderful bosses (thank heavens for understanding bosses who tolerate crazed employees) and we're going to work on getting me in a position where I could apply for another position within the same company (alas, it won't be in the same branch) that would be better suited to me. Hopefully, this will provide an improvement and a lot more peace. I like the people I work with so much and I feel like I disappoint them by not being able to be the fabulous employee they deserve.
I promise to tell everything about Idaho and I've also decided this is a more practical (and will hopefully happen faster) than the website I keep meaning to do on my trip to Spain with Jacob this past summer. Today though, I want to talk about Maverick. Also known as Can. Ch Kristari's Codesign Maverick.
Mav arrived here as a bundle of red fur over ten years ago. He came up from Tennessee from Sharon Osharow's Kristari kennels. He captured hearts from the start - even the border crossing folks loved him on first sight. He made his debut a few short weeks later at ten weeks old at the Royal Ontario Winter Fair where he spent hours on end greeting the public and educating them about Siberian Huskies. This was a role he excelled at and he attended the fair every year the Siberian Husky Club of Canada participated while I was a member.
He finished his championship easily despite a lack of manners. We once journeyed to a specialty and we were running late. I had my show clothes in the back of the van so I could change when we got there. Mav was on the floor between the front seats as he got car sick if I put him in a crate. As it was he was covered in drool. About ten minutes before we arrived he barfed all over my shoes and the bottom of my pants, not to mention himself. We pulled into the show grounds and a friend came running out yelling that they were calling us into the ring and would mark us absent if we didn't get in there now. So, still in my jeans and sweatshirt, smelling like dog vomit, towing my dog who smelled as bad as I did and didn't look any better either, we ran into the ring. The steward hastily made a number for us and we proceeded. Shock of shocks, we won. Sometimes, politics and appearances have no bearing on dog shows.
We did start towards his US championship but it only lasted a few shows. Siberian entries tend to be very large in the eastern US which means a lot of down time with nothing to do in the ring but look good while waiting for your turn to be examined by the judge. Lots of time on ones hands and Maverick did not go well together. He was a big clown and loved to make people laugh, particularly people ringside. It was all you could do to prevent him from sneaking kisses from ringside children, play bowing, barking, anything to get a laugh. Hilarious for everyone but the person holding his leash in the ring. Of course, the topper was when he did a courtesy turn (like a small circle to get the legs in motion) before his down and back. He managed to lift his leg on the judge's jacket as he did his turn and continue on like nothing had happened. Joanna, who was showing him that day, was mortified. I pray the judge never clued in. We stopped showing him in the US.
He also loved sledding and thought a day in harness was a perfect day. I loved to point out that that show dog could be sleeping on the couch one day, in the ring the next and doing ten miles in harness the day after that.
Maverick had character. He also had my heart and he knew it. He'd come sleep at my feet while I worked at the computer and let me dig my toes into his luxuriant coat. Nothing is warmer than Siberian fur when your feet are cold. He will be missed greatly.

Quick Update

2009-01-14T18:43:00.000-08:00

Can't write for long as I still need to pack but wanted to let you know that the Peanut passed away last night. I'd like to think Mother Nature had her reasons but it is always hard to lose one, even one so young. Thankfully his brothers and sisters are doing well and gaining weight like they should be. Although Kaylee was a little uncertain about motherhood at first, she's now got the hang of things and is doing great.
More work stress. I'm glad I'm going away for a week. I feel like a perpetual disappointment lately and I can't seem to overcome it.

Catching Up

2009-01-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

The computer hated me yesterday and wouldn't work so today's entry may be longwinded.
Saturday I worked which was good if unexceptional. Sunday though was Kaylee's day. She started at 11:30am and by the end (last one was born at 7:16pm) there were seven new babies - 4 girls (all solid liver) and 3 boys (1 ticked and 2 solid liver). The largest, and first born, is the ticked male. He weighed 18 ounces. Most of them were about 14-15 ounces except the Peanut (my nickname for him so far) who was only 7 ounces. I'm worried about him. People talk about how much hard work it is to breed a litter but they don't dwell on all the hard decisions that go with it. If a puppy is having a difficult time surviving, do you baby him and do your best to keep him alive or do you accept that sometimes Mother Nature knows better. It seems like so often you pour everything you have into a wee pup and spend day and night caring for it (and in the process becoming so attached to it that it isn't funny) and then it passes away anyway because of an internal defect that was undetectable at birth but prevented the puppy from surviving once it reached a certain size. On the other hand, I can't just let them pass with no effort on my part. I think the Peanut and I will be going to the vet for a second opinion.
Apparently Blade and her hubby had a great time aboard a tall ship, the Lady Washington. I am so envious. Sheer Pirate Heaven. I think Red is right. We Pirates shall have to take a trip aboard one together. See Wesley's blog for pictures of the ship.
Monday was spent at the lab having more x-rays and ultrasounds done on my knee and then off to work. They called today and I'm back to the doctor's on Thursday. They confirmed osteo-arthritis but that was all they'd say on the phone. There's nothing like privacy and doctor-patient confidentiality to frustrate a patient who wants to know what's going on.
I've downloaded my itinerary for the flight on Thursday. Then it's off to Boise! (Whoever thought I'd be excited to go to Idaho???)

Dr

2009-01-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm glad I saw the resident - she was very nice and I felt like she actually listened to what I had to say. That being said we did some medication adjustments and are redoing the x-rays and ultrasounds. She asked me to keep the appt on the 15th and we'll see what progress we've made. It feels ridiculous to say but I actually feel hopefuly for the first time in awhile (and yes, I did pick up the antidepressants but no I haven't taken any yet so we can't blame the upswing in my mood on drugs).
Blade sent the sweetest email ever, I almost cried in my office. Then Mom showed up with flowers for me. It had no choice but to be a good day.
Now, I switched on the computer to do my little update and got to see Betty's updates on her blog, Get to the Point, and it had the best photo of her husband Jay and her son Reece. It reminded me of playing in the snow with Jacob and Alex when they were younger. It also made me think of a snowman built many years ago with a fellow Pirate Queen in the front yard of a place she was renting while we were in university. I didn't think it was possible to have so much fun while suffering from frostbite :)
Today was one of those days where I was reminded that while there are always pitfalls, I'm really very blessed to have such a great family and friends. You guys are the best.

Potential Lost and Babies on The Way

2009-01-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

OK first, before anyone has a panic attack, when I say babies I mean puppies. Kaylee is due this weekend so I've been getting the whelping box ready. I'm looking forward to this litter. I always look forward to puppies but I think because I'm bringing Joan (who I am indeed spoiling rotten - she also likes roast beast and toast) to Betty's next week which leaves me with no puppy of my own to spoil. Mind you I'll only have Kaylee's for 8 weeks or so too as I already have a wonderful family that wants to foster the bitch we keep from this litter. But by then, I'll be almost ready to bring the new addition from the UK home so hopefully I won't get too bad a case of I-miss-puppy-breath-itis.
I know there have been some in the past who've accused me of having too many litters. In this respect, I'm very lucky. I usually have a waiting list before the litters are born (six of Kaylee's puppies are already spoken for). I also have Dad, who is retired and therefore has a very flexible schedule most of the time, who can stay home with puppies and loves to play with them for hours on end. Why am I any luckier than other breeders with respect to finding homes - I don't know. I do know that I always take the time to talk to people and help where I can regardless of who bred the dog causing them grief or how many questions they have about the breed - regardless of whether they're calling about purchasing a puppy, breed info, rescue info, or because they're having problems with their current dog and need advice. I know I work hard to be as honest as I can in all aspects of our breeding; I don't treat people like I was raised in a kennel with no manners; and I do everything within my power to produce stable, healthy dog with good temperaments that first and foremost will make great companions. I love showing them and doing hunt tests with them but most of the dogs we breed will end up as pets and that's a fact of life for the vast majority of breeders. There is no shame in being someone's pet. In fact, I consider it the highest praise when people call or write to tell me what a wonderful dog they have and how much joy that animal has brought to their lives.
Now on to that potential thing. I had an interesting talk with my boss today. I love talking to her and missed her greatly while she was on maternity leave as she is easy to talk to and you invariably leave her office feeling better than when you went into it. Anyway, we happened to be talking about the past and how I ended up in the bank. She asked me if I didn't think I wasting my potential by staying at the bank. I had pointed out that I was the unaccomplished, dumb one of my best friends and it's true; my fellow Pirate Queens all make at least twice what I make a year and have impressive titles with equally impressive jobs. I, on the other hand, kind of happened into banking and have a relatively unimpressive job with a rather menial title to it by comparison.
This is a question that I have pondered on my own many times. Should I be doing something more with myself. Am I wasting the gifts I was born with? In the end though it doesn't feel like a waste. If I do something I usually enjoy (hey, no one enjoys their job all the time), that helps lots of people (I've helped people buy their first homes, first cars, get their first credit cards, and eased the stress of months of worry about how to cope with ones bills and debt.) is it really a waste? I'm thinking the answer is no. After all, is it a waste if someone with a real gift for athletics decides to become a social worker instead of an NBA player? Is my situation really any different? Besides, if I thought I was wasting my life I'm sure it would only depress me in a big way.
Speaking of depressing, I have been feeling very emotional this week - overwhelmed, close to tears all the time, unsure if I can cope where I would normally just tell myself to put my big girl panties on and live with it, etc. On my way home from work today I realized that I've been out of my anti-depressants for about a week (honestly, I was planning on getting a renewal but just figured it could wait until the 15th). Apparently they really do serve a function lol It does leave me with the question as to why I am like this when without medication though. I know all the medical reasons - serotonin levels etc - but other people with much more complicated lives than mine cope just fine, so why can't I? Am I just weak?

Ooops

2009-01-06T14:28:00.002-08:00

Well, after signing off last night I decided to make some muffins for work for the rest of the week. I like to have low fat muffins on hand for snacking so I can avoid hopping across the road to diet Hell (and Timmies). Upon turning on the over I discovered that a chunk of fat from the roast beast had fallen off on Sunday and attched itself to the hot metal wire thing in the oven. Sorry I have no clue as to what it is called - what I do now know is that preheating the overn under these conditions causes tremendous amounts of stinky smoke and some fire. Despite all this my latest experiment (pumpkin angel food cake muffins) turned out rather well.
Today, there is no good way to say it - I fucked up. I underestimated a fee for a client and I feel terrible. They'll still benefit in the long run but in the short run they're going to be very angry with me and I can't blame them. I would be too. I hate disappointing people.
There was one very nice spot in the day. Two if you count that I now have an appt with the dr's resident on Thursday. There's this great article in the Toronto Star on teh front page of the world section. Apparently, these two kids (aged 6 & 7) decided they were going to get married and go to Africa. They brought along her younger sister (age 5) as a witness. They were picked up at the train station with lots of swimming gear and toys and no money :) Apparently they didn't think they would be gone long so they didn't feel the need to let their sleeping parents know they were off to Africa. The article is just too sweet and funny. They're home, safe, sound and still unwed.

A Day of Movies and a Day of Losing It

2009-01-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Sunday was quiet. I got up early and got the dogs done before running into town to pick up some chocolate for cookies for my vet (who I cannot say enough good things about). Upon returning I discovered that Mom and Dad had picked the same things up on their way home from the hotel they stayed at last night (after seeing a show about the British Invasion (musical invasion that is) at Stage West which they gave rave reviews). Great minds think alike. Of course with all those ingredients finally at hand I found I had lost my desire to cook.
Funny, I love to bake. It is something that I find very relaxing and when I start to feel stressed I reach for the flour and the sugar, Despite the fact that I have an enormous sweet tooth, I am as happy cooking for others as I am cooking for our household. There is something rewarding about feeding people. Joanna (my sister) and I laugh that someday we'll start a catering business - she'll cook and I'll bake. At any rate, I decided to give baking a pass for the day and instead veg out in front of the tv watching favourite old movies.
We started with The Replacements with Keanu Reeves. This ranks as my all time favourite sports movie for absolutely no good reason other than that I love Keanu Reeves, I like the underdog (especially when they are so very odd in so many funny ways) and I love the soundtrack. Possibly also because my younger nephew Alex does a wonderful imitation of Rhys Ifans licking his fingers and rubbing his nipples.
Followed it up with Speed - yes, still more Keanu Reeves. I still remember seeing this one in the theatres with fellow Pirate Queen, Barn-Yen. We were on a blockbuster-a-week binge and sat through it twice that day.
For the finale that evening, I left Reeves-land and watched an old favourite - True Lies with the current governor of California. A relaxing evening all in all.
Today, less relaxing. It really shouldn`t have been bad as I had lots of good business come into my office with lots of opportunities. Unfortunately my leg chose today as a good day to act up and I just got crankier and crankier from the pain. I called to book an appt with my doctor for the 15th. I figured that a week and a half is plenty of notice for an appt. I have some prescriptions that need renewing and I figure it`s time I stopped using the walk-in and saw him about my knee as it has become apparent that the stop-gap measures used so far just aren`t enough. I`m getting so frustrated and over-tired from not sleeping properly that I was close to tears several times today. The nurse told me that a week and a half is not enough though as, except for emergencies, my doctor is now booking for the end of January. She could put me in with one of his residents on the 15th though. I thought the purpose of having your own doctor was the consistency and the fact that you don`t start fresh with someone who doesn`t know you or your health each time you visit. Apparently I missed something. I accpeted the appt but later on today I came to the conclusion that this is too an emergency and I`m not sure I should wait until the 15th. I`m going to talk to my boss tomorrow and see if I can be a bit late on Thursday morning and book an appt. Otherwise I think I`m going to drive everyone around me crazy.

New Year`s Resolution and a Trip South

2009-01-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

This was my resolution for the new year. Several friends have been complaining I don`t share the minutiae (sp?) of my day often enough. I believe this to be because they`re relatively dull but as you`ve asked I will attempt to share them here. With a little luck this one will last longer than my normal resolutions do. Come to think of it, I think it already has.
Yesterday, I got up at the crack of dawn (actually, it was still dark out at 5:30 am) to set off for Albany. I know with the title a trip south you`d think I`d gone somewhere warm, nice, vacation-like. N0o, I went to Albany and back in a day. I went to drop off a puppy to her new home while visiting with some friends.
The drive itself wasn`t too bad. long but not bad driving. The munchkins (I took Frankie - who was staying in NY - and Joan (just for company) and Dalwhinnie who doesn`t qualify as anyone`s idea of a puppy but who makes better company on a drive) slept most of the way. Stopped at Timmie`s and got Timbits for the drive. I was willing to be generous and share with Dal but Dal decided to get picky and repeatedly selected Timbits from the box then decided she didn`t like them and spat them on the floor. So much for Timmies.
Dal ended up staying with Sarah for a bit and I spent most of the trip home consoling the now very lonely Joan. (Don`t tell Betty but Joan likes Macdonald`s cheeseburgers - I forgot to bring some food for her so we had to improvise. I`m a bad breeder.)
I don`t envy the dogs when we take road trips as they are subjected to my terrible singing for hours on end. It is a sad statement when you listen to only three CDs over the course of almost fourteen hours of driving. I think that by now Joan could probably sing all of Leonard Cohen`s Hallelujah all by herself. I think I repeated it at least four times in a row everytime we came upon it. I have this really nice version of it with k.d. lang singing. I don`t get how Joanna can like the Rufus Sewell version better. It`s obvious the dampness of BC has affected her ears. I`m not quite sure why I like this particular song so much. The best I can offer is that I find it soothing which makes it sound like I need soothing which I don`t think is true most of the time. OK, let`s just ignore my mental states for now.
Today has been very quiet. A really nice family came to see the dogs. Hopefully, they`ll put a deposit down on Kaylee`s litter. Sinead goes home later today and then poor Joan will be really lonely until she goes to Idaho in a few weeks. How badly do you think I can spoil her between now and when we get to Betty`s :)
As for me, I`m thinking it will be a quiet evening and maybe watch the new Mummy movie.