The things I do

while waiting for the family to show.



First there is the cabin. I wanted to take a picture or three to show to people who seem mildly interested. Now there are signs of a nibble so I wandered over with the Blackberry and snapped a picture to send to my daughter, to send on.




Then, while out scooping the yard I couldn't help but look up at the roof to see if the magic powder was doing its job. It is, but not fast enough, and what the heck, there is a slight lull in the rain so why not help it along with some of the bigger patches of moss, eh? Up I go with rake in hand, dogs barking (once again) below. Now, of course, the gutters are full, but rather than cut up my hands by scooping the stuff out I realized something, and decided it was best to carefully get off the roof.



Last night when I went out to feed the horse, (in the rain and mud) prior to a visit from friends, my leg quite suddenly, and without warning, came off. Down I went. This time it was completely off; unscrewed from the liner. My body was unhurt, my knees were muddy, and I was angry. REALLY angry. I am so tired of issues with this leg. I know I am pushing it, but this is a leg that is meant to be walked on by "active" people. Yeah, right! So, as I am up on that roof I suddenly had a vision of how bad it could be if I were leaning over the gutter, from the uphill side, and had an equipment malfunction. Or on the ladder...leg falls to ground and I am stuck; unable to get up or down. sigh.



So I am now in the house awaiting arrival of young son. I want to go down to the lighthouse and see if we have any signs of the tsunami which is to hit between two and four. Perhaps it will tone down my anger a wee bit. Oh, and yes, I used to get really mad when I skinned my knee too. I am worse now. It is the "don't stop me or get in my way" attitude. Where it comes from, I have no clue. For now I am using it to my advantage and will count on friends and relatives to rein me in should it get too over the top.



I wonder if I should crank up the lawnmower while I wait...



G2

Muddy Friday

Today is the first day I have let the dogs run in the field again. Of course, it is raining, and has been all night. The field is covered in mud. I managed to find an area that was not slippery and got out the ball tosser. Christmas in February!! Kate wouldn't even wait for the ball to be thrown. She just grabbed one that I dropped and ran. What a happy girl! I decided to keep it minimal, partly because I was getting wet and cold, and partly because I still have no idea what had caused the lameness on either dog. With the chance of slipping in the mud I felt I was playing with fire; at the ten minute mark I called the dogs in. A quick wipe down with the Sham-Wow and they are snoozing on the window sill (Kate) and bed (Henry) as the chicken wings thaw a bit. (Oops!) Life has resumed some semblance of normalcy.

I've made an appointment with Hanger Prosthetics to discuss a running leg. The modifications that have been made to my current leg have me incredibly sore. I adore the folks at my current shop, but am beginning to run out of patience with them getting it right. I firmly believe in giving my business to the "little guy" until the risk overcomes the benefits. Sadly, with my increased activity, I am right on that edge.

This weekend looks to be a quiet one. Things change in seconds around here, but my plans are to do some of the many tasks that are needed to maintain my home. I almost look forward to it.

Onward into March.

G2

Happy Birthdays

and what am I thinking?!

Happy Birthday, Gabe.

Happy Birthday, Lilly.

The years go faster and faster as I get older. If I could put in an order I would want the next five to go super fast, and then slow to a crawl. You see, in five years I can attach to the ex's social security...nice that 28 years gives me a little bit of financial security after the fact. However, I don't want the grand kids growing up any faster. I guess I will sit quietly and bide my time. Of course the lady at the SS office DID say there was one way I can get on earlier...

I am signed up for a runner's class. This is a "what am I thinking" moment. I wrote the Tri-Turtle and asked her if she was up for the challenge. What a great response...she said that we BOTH needed to be up for the challenge. I then told her I had already put it on the calendar. Nervous? Absolutely. I honestly am not sure it can be done, but the only way to find out is to try, eh? I predict a bit of scrapes and bruises in my future. It will all be worth it to be able to run again.

With that, my day begins. And it looks to be a good one.

G2

The rain; it is back

and I couldn't be happier! Why? Because my roof is a mess with moss and I had gotten some of that powder moss killer stuff at Costco. It says that it needs to go on "during the rainy season." Yesterday I washed my truck, knowing full well that it would bring the rain. Of course, I also heard the weather report, but those guys are not always right; washing my truck ALWAYS works. So today, after returning from an appointment in the city, I climbed the ladder to the roof armed with two jugs of moss kill powder. (Yes, dear kids, I had the cell phone with me should I take a sudden dive.) The weather was perfect. No wind. It also says that I should not sprinkle the stuff on in the wind as it could be toxic to humans and critters with lungs. I can, if I live in a high wind area, dilute it and spray it on the roof. It is all I can do to get myself and two jugs of powder onto the roof. I can see myself trying to get a sprayer up there, and down, and back up, and then down again as, it is not a very big tank. So I am walking the roof, straddling the peak, and sprinkling this white powder stuff in two long lines on either side. I have visions of gigantic dollar bills rolled into tubes the size of pool noodles. Whoa man, that's some good (uhmmmm) "stuff." I chuckled as I thought back to my music recording days and the office parties. Ricky and his constant sniffles. So as I reminisce and spread the pretty powder, the dogs suddenly see me up there. They are in the pen out front. Henry's bark becomes quite shrill and Kate just stares in amusement. I have this fear that I will catch her climbing the ladder to the roof to check out the view. I made a mental note to make sure to take the ladder down. She's a sly one, that girl. She loves to pretend she is "slow" and then slyly does something naughty. I suspect if she got on the roof she would next try to be Santa and slip down the chimney; all the while encouraging her brother to follow along..."in fact, why don't you go first dear Henry?" As I empty the second jug I feel the first drops of rain. Perfect timing!!

Tomorrow I will be ready for the rain to go back away. But for today, I am quite pleased with it.

G2

Springtime duos; or how the heck did that happen?

It is amazing outside. The sun is warm and bright. The sky is blue. The temperatures are in the 60s. That is the good.

Both of my dogs are limping on the left front leg. BOTH! Henry is getting better. He limps very little now, but just when I think all is well I catch him holding up the leg. This morning my Katelan is holding up the same leg. Well, not the exact same; she is holding up HER left front leg. Corgis are incredibly stoic. I haven't a clue where either one of them is hurting. It could be anywhere from shoulder to paw. Now, granted, that is not a long distance on a corgi, but does leave me feeling like there are endless possibilities of problems. I'm thinking that Kate tweaked something getting off the bed. I have a big hassock where that she uses to get up and down, but I have caught her taking shortcuts at times. I love sleeping with my dogs so am now trying to find a way to fence off the bed so she has no choice but to use the "step." However, I keep seeing visions of southern grave sites with their white picket fences when I try to imagine a barrier around the mattress. I may have to suck it up and crate her for a few days. The problem with that is that she gets crazy when locked in her crate. Frantically twisting and turning and peeing and pooping. She lived in a crate before I got her, so one would think she would be quite fine, but she is definitely NOT. So I am sticking close to home or closing her in the kitchen. She seems fine in there.

Of course, that is where the chicken is. Right now I have a sink overflowing in chicken parts. Yep, I said chicken parts. Frozen solid. A mass of wings, backs, necks, thighs. All frozen into a gigantic brick. Such a deal, thought I, a few days back. I went to the meat market in search of necks and backs...those glorious doggy toothbrushes. What I found was that they don't sell them except as a big box of chicken "parts." It was wonderful. A monstrous box for super cheap. I have been buying wings for $1.99 a pound. The Scot in me just could pass this by. So today I thought I would chisel a piece of meat from the chunk to placate the pups. I think this is about 30 pounds of tangled chicken parts. It is not so easy to pull out a piece for each dog. In fact it is next to impossible. I can't stop thinking about the band saw that I left behind when I vacated the place my children were born. (Wait; that sounds bad. The bandsaw had nothing to do with the birth of my children!) Again my generosity toward the "ex" has bitten me in the bum. sigh. So, as soon as I am done here, I will get a hack saw and saw the brick into smaller pieces that I can thaw a bit at a time. Meanwhile the dogs are pacing back and forth from the kitchen to my computer. Kate pitifully limping. And sighing. Deeply.

I had to get out of here this morning. My distress over the lame dogs was going to give me an ulcer. I needed to birthday shop any way, so to the city I went. After picking up a pet hamster, robotic of course, I headed back home via my favorite nursery. Normally the dogs would be with me, as it is very dog friendly. Today they were home, but I wandered happily soaking up the spring blossoms along with the warm sunshine. I needed to pick up a couple of gifts anyway, so just spent a couple of hours wandering. I found what I wanted, gift-wise, and headed home. My truck needs to be washed, and the dogs observed for the miraculous recovery...which wasn't there. Right now Kate is laying on the couch. She is propped on the arm of the couch by her left elbow, which leads me to believe that it is not an elbow or shoulder issue. I'm now thinking foot or ankle. Arghh!

So, I look outside and think I should go do some work before the rains return. Perhaps setting up an X-pen so the doggies can enjoy some sun without too much stress on the joints. Then I will put the two gifts into a bucket for safe keeping until delivery. Spring time; synonymous with two. Some good, some not so. Whatever...it sure is pretty out there.

G2

Won't you be my neighbor?

'Tis early morning and the sun is just beginning to rise. The grass is frosted over and the stars are shining quite brightly in the clear sky. A perfect time for a walk with the dogs. I can hear the train across Puget Sound; over in Edmonds. At any moment the ferry will begin to blow its horn as it arrives and departs from the terminal a mile from here. This is an amazing place to live. However...no more walking dogs until daylight. Every little rustle sets them off. I live in the woods; there are plenty of rustles! I think the chipmunks get together and throw things at the dogs as we try to walk in the dark. Then they laugh as I try to control two dogs I cannot see as they weave their leashes into knots. So from this day forward my pre-dawn walks will be on the treadmill. In another hour we should be good to go.

I noticed that the sign post is up for the cabin next door. I walked up there yesterday and it looks great. I sure hope that someone good takes the place. It deserves better than it has had the past two occupancies. I am thinking that the dogs will be spending a bit more time out in their pen. A bit of barking from here now may save a lot of aggravation later; knowaddamean, Vern? I was hoping to nab a photo from the listing and post it here, but it isn't up yet, so I will try to get over and take some of my own. It is such a cute little place with tons of potential...don't you love it when something is described like that? This is not a dump...just tiny. It is a cabin. a cabin in the woods. on acreage. a short walk down the driveway to the beach. Nuff said.

Today I am going to go play with Newfie puppies. Big boofy black babies. They are seven weeks old and the most adorable bear cubs I have ever seen. In two weeks I will get to play with Cardigan corgi puppies. By far the most adorable, period. I admit, I am a bit biased, but the more time I spend around Cardigans and their breeders, the more I fall for them. They are just a good fit for me. What can I say? I have been given the educational opportunity of a lifetime. I will get to watch one of the premier breeders evaluate a litter of puppies and a few adult dogs. I am delighted for the invite. I hope my aging brain can take it all in. Extreme thanks to the powers that be...and you know who you are!

So, with that, I am off to spend some quality time outside with my little hairy horse. It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood.

G2

Life in the fast lane

I am slowly getting my act back together after an extended weekend of dog shows. The laundry is done, the bags unpacked, and the dogs settled back into the routine that is our life.

Insanity pretty much described it. Again, I question what I love about this torture that is dog showing. I'm thinking it is the challenge of trying to figure out what new thing I must learn about the breed. That and trying to figure out what the judges are seeing that I am not. It is quite the mental game. There were three of us and four dogs all sharing a motel room. Kate did great despite the six month old pup "wanting" her...constantly. For the very first time she actually snarled at a puppy. After about an hour of being jumped on constantly. I was quite impressed and delighted to find that she really could stand up for herself. I also was quite happy with how we did in the ring. Like I said, it is a constant learning process. I appreciate and solicit critique and try to improve the next time out. My goal now is to find the button in Kate that brings out the happy girl. That is what got her the wins in Boise, and that is what I need now. Where there is a will, there is a way.

More to come in the next day or so. I have a need to climb into my bed and watch Westminster and the Olympics.

G2

Pride

Yep, that about sums it all up. I got a call from my daughter. Her husband is going to be doing the Chilly Hilly bike ride in the area. So much has happened in the last couple of years with his life, and biking has become a major part of it. All three of my boys enjoy their bicycle time now, and the added health that it brings. I also think it is important bonding time for them as a family. It just seems so much better than hanging at a bar, or sitting and talking/playing video games, don't you think? They also help to inspire me and keep me on track. Together we can do anything. I am so proud of my family. I hope my son-in-law understands the depth of my pride, and the fact that he IS my family. He is such a strong man and struggles to keep his vision on track due to circumstances well beyond his control. Each day he is stronger. (I hope that same statement applies to each of us.)

-

The pups are asleep at my feet. They had one of their runs a few minutes ago, and their chicken wing. I started giving them each one after their second run of the day. The first day neither was quite sure what to do with it. Now it is quickly consumed. My understanding is that it is good for their teeth and breath. Neither has been an issue as of yet, but why wait until it is? Chicken wings are cheap, as are backs...a lot cheaper than dental surgery. Who would have thought it could be something as easy as a raw chicken wing or back each day? Time will tell.

-

All is set for the trip to Oregon. It will be a long and crazy weekend, and I will report back on Monday. I am off for a pair of shoes and to fill the truck with gas. With the rain coming down I see no need to wash the truck, so that is one more thing I get to check off the list, which is getting smaller by the minute.

-

G2

I'm a mean

cleaning machine. One of the things that Mom taught me, or perhaps it just rubbed off on me, is to never leave on a trip without first cleaning the house. I did it once and I must say it was really miserable to come home with dirty clothes and suitcases to unpack, turn the key, and walk in to a messy house. It really made me want to turn around and go away again. So, with the Oregon trip looming I am cleaning house and truck today. Sadly it is really outside weather...blue sky, chilly, sunshine; I would prefer to be hanging out there, but must keep my schedule. I do take breaks for an occasional run with the dogs and a mile walk. I also did the WallyWorld run for "stuff" that I need to take along. I tried parking at the very back of the parking lot, but the stalls are so small and I worry about someone dinging up my truck. So it is one of the places that I still use a "blue" spot. Since they have a gazillion and one I don't feel guilty, but it is a bit weird to be training for triathlons and 60 mile walks and using a handicapped spot. What do folks with new cars do when they don't have that option? I guess there are just a lot of door dings, eh?

I got a phone call a few days ago. My tattoo guy wants me to join him at one of the local TV studios for another story/interview. He has had a wild and crazy ride lately; flying here and there pushing his product to the VA and at conventions. I am 150% in support of what he does, so the small inconvenience of these interviews is not a big deal. This one, however, may be a bit different. They want to do an on air tattoo. He will be having his artist put the breast cancer ribbon on the opposite side of the socket from my Koi fish. I had decided that I would have it done after I did the 3-day walk, but we had to bail last year due to my surgery. I guess it will be the added incentive to complete it this year...I will leave the date off until completion. So I guess that means I need to start fund raising. I hate fund raising. I detest fund raising. I want the funds to magically appear. Yes, I know, it ain't going to happen, but one can want it, right?

So I am off to throw the clean clothes into the dryer and clean the kitchen. Then the bathrooms. All is well in my little neck of the woods.

G2

Oh, and another little picture for the continuing saga that is "Things I put on my sister."

Happy Birthday

Baby girl. I am so proud to be your Mom. You've given me a run for my money at times, but somehow we both managed to survive. My life would have less color without that chapter that is you. Thank you for sticking with me and letting me be your Mom. I love you more than life itself.

(Are you ready to do it again...this time beside your Mom?)

G2

Time for a fitting

with a none too pleased dog. This was taken with my cell phone, so I will try for better, and happier, pictures later. (FWIW it is not blue...it is "plum" in honor of my new grandbaby.) With a few modifications Kate will have her new jammies and I will be able to keep a clean dog clean.

Note the sleeping beauty on the couch...

Short legs mean everything ends up on the belly after a walk across a parking lot on a rainy day. Ok, this was a wee bit more than a walk across a parking lot, but you get my drift!

The idea is that this may also help tame an unruly patch of hair. Time will tell. One more thing to pack in the ever growing show bag(s). Five days and counting until I leave for Albany. Lots to do, and little time. For now the house, and couch, comes first.

G2

and the answer is...

I got one of those emails. You know the kind, the question and answer things that so many forward to you. For a change I decided to answer it. Questions like: if you were a color, what would that be? What is your favorite flower?, etc., etc.

I thought I would share some of the answers, in no particular order.

tomatoes (yep, you saw that coming, didn't you?)

diamonds

2/13/10

last week

5am

no

right shoe

dressage

daffodils

Peter the Rabbit

There were many more questions and answers, but it is important that you don't know me too terribly well (in fear you will turn and run quickly the other way), so I will stop there.

G2