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Sunday, March 26, 2006

I'm back with my new mac...

I just got one of the new Intel Macs. I feel like I can re-route satellites or hack into the CIA with this. I'm starting slow though - with blogging.

New computer, Honey's TPLO leg looks good and strong, I got a marketing contract I'm excited about...good start for the week.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Laptop Died

Which makes posting really hard right now. Should be back on track this weekend.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Indoor Dog Walking

It's been raining here which makes options of where to take a walk pretty limited. We do hit all the pet stores where Honey kindly cleans up any remnants of food. But, the main thrill is for Honey to see a dog - any dog. She's looking for a good muzzle lick.

Some of the dogs we run into aren't as thrilled to see her. There was Louie the Poodle (tell me that doesn't sound like it comes directly from The Sopranos). He started barking madly at her as soon as he spotted her coming down the aisle. We went the other way and stopped to let a man walk by with his daughter. As they walked by he said to the little girl, "Look at that stuuupid dog." I got madder than I should've and said "She isn't a stupid dog - you know nothing about her," - does that sound ridiculously childish - but it didn't matter because he pretended not to hear. I'm sure he assumed she was the one who had been doing all the barking. Not a good experience. On the other hand....

Lowe's is one of the nicest places we've ever been. We went to the garden section and a woman there started talking about how pretty Honey was and sweet and friendly. After she finished complimenting her, she said she'd seen another pit mix inside the building so we walked in.

Walking a dog in a regular store is kind of amazing. First, because it seems so completely incongruous but secondly, the people shopping at Lowe's are the nicest people anywhere. Everyone there smiled at Honey and wanted to pet her. Some parents asked if she was friendly so their children could pet her. I forgot what it was like to have a dog people didn't react to negatively.

We had an amazing time and bought a very attractive floor register which a store member actually helped me find. May I recommend Lowe's, the nicest place to shop, to everyone?

Friday, March 10, 2006

Calm Assertiveness

I bought The Dog Whisperer's DVD. I'd heard about his show - how amazing he is and, a bonus for me, he is a big fan of pit bulls. (Three pit bulls in the picture)



I wish the DVD had been longer. I wish it had shown more examples of badly-behaved dogs and their befuddled owners. It's relaxing since Honey has her issues but hey, she's not a chewer, a barker, a biter or a growler.

She is a puller, though. After buying her every kind of no-pull harness there is, I've decided she thinks they are some kind of workout aid. A kind of body-fitted Bowflex.


What I did learn from Cesar is Honey is a high energy, submissive dog that is displaying dominant characteristics because I'm letting her But, I don't care about a lot of decisions she makes. "You want to walk this way, okay." "You want to stop here and sniff, no problem." Apparently, that is not a good thing and can lead to bigger issues in the future. For now, she's taken charge and is patronizing me.

Cesar says she needs calm, assertive energy from me as I take the dominant role. That is the type of leadership she will respond to and that's not a bad thing to practice. Who doesn't respond to calm assertiveness? I can rule the world with calm assertiveness.

But, as I look at her lying on my bed (instead of in her crate), I decide to start dominating her tomorrow. Calm assertiveness fading in response to massive cuteness.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

One year ago

Honey moved in temporarily one year ago.

We celebrated by watching the Oscars. One of us had yogurt, peanut butter and kibble in a Kong then lay in front of the fire on a blanket and fell asleep, periodically exhaling a deep breath of contentment. I'm not sure which of us was happier.

For Honey who has caused me no end of expense, hassle, housing problems, etc. An excerpt of a poem by Jane Kenyon.

6IN AND OUT


The dog searches until he finds me
upstairs, lies down with a clatter
of elbows, puts his head on my foot.

Sometimes the sound of his breathing
saves my life -- in and out, in
and out; a pause, a long sigh. . . .

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Tagged in Fours

My complimentary reader Cathy from The Catbird Seat (kind of a mental journey site: starting off with one thought which leads you somewhere you don't expect to go and you never know what you'll learn along the way)- has tagged me with a questionnaire that seems like fun so this post, I'm solo. Honey, go back to sleep...

Four jobs I've had:
1) First real job I ever had was as soon as I could legally work - and it was at the candy counter at a movie theater. Initially it was great! I could see free movies if I stayed late, eat candy and popcorn and I felt very businesslike with my cash register. But, it was a standalone theatre that the owner didn't want to invest any more money in, the manager had some sort of drinking problem and was always at a next door bar ("checking out the marque" to anyone who called, so we kids kind of ran the show. I did quit close to the time one of the patrons came out to the lobby with the lower half of a theater chair that broke when he sat on it. One of the ushers I worked with said "well, find another seat."
2) I worked at a record store next - also fun. We played whatever music we wanted on our shifts and everyone took turns picking. I worked with people who loved alternative, rock, soundtracks, punk, whatever - and you had to relax and just go with it or you would go crazy. I listened to music I never would've listened to otherwise and usually ended up liking it. Also - did you know you can make people buy faster or keep them wandering around depending on the pace (and type) of music you play. Amazing to watch.
3) Worked in a gun store for seven days. Weekends only - I thought it would be good to bring in a little income when I was in college. It paid very well and only involved ringing up purchases. They had a new computerized cash register that none of the guys could work. What was I thinking? Well, that it would be some kind of Raymond Chandler place where men and women purchased pearl handled derringers. Guess what? Not even close.
4) Director of marketing at a videogame company - is there any kind of pattern here?

Four Goals for the year
This one is hard...
1) To blog once every five days for the year
2) I'm female so isn't it a given? Lose weight
3) I wanted to take a picture a day but that ship has kind of sailed for this year, again.
4) To not break plans with friends but that ends up turning into not saying you're going to do anything just in case so...

Four Movies I can watch over and over
1) This comes to mind and it's fluff but 13 Going on 30. I have made male and female friends watch this. I think Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo are so charming in it and, I don't know - just makes me happy.
2) Last of the Mohicans. Ohmigosh - so many moments are memorable for me in that movie and the music is beautiful and the American wilderness is wonderful. But - that part, that part where he says "Just stay alive."
3) Shakespeare in Love. Talking about the music reminded me of this because there is a beautiful theme in it but I LOVE this movie. I think it is really witty and smart and a wonderful world to be in for a while.
4) This was really hard because there are so many to choose from. I thought of so many Sci fi movies, new animated ones, black and white movies, even musicals (yes, I'm the one person that rents them) but...I realized I wanted it to be Two for the Road. The first time I stumbled into this movie I was young and had very specific ideas of romance and thought it was awful. If you were in love you lived happily ever after and that was that. I'm not quite as easily shocked anymore.

Four places where you have lived:
I've lived a lot of places so I'll pick different states
1) First place I remember: Orinda, California.
2) Denver, Colorado
3) Tucson, Arizona
4) Manhattan, New York

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1) House is really the only show I've been watching. Interesting and some good black humor.
Other than that - I did rent some series...
2) My So-Called Life. This sits somewhere with the 13 going on 30 part of my brain
3) Law and Order. Before CSI upped the violence ante..../I also watched 24 in almost 24 hours - addictive
4) Star Trek: The Next Generation. I would like to work on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise - not least, to listen to Captain Picard talk

Four places you've been on vacation:
1) Camping in Tulome Meadows in Yosemite with my family
2) Big Bear Lake with a church group in high school - where I learned to kiss
3) Caveliere in the south of France where I celebrated my 18th birthday
4) Driving all around England with my writer friend. What amazed me was London looks like Dickens writes, Hardy country looks like Thomas Hardy writes, Bath looks like Jane Austen book and I don't think it looked like it but I was just happy to be where James Herriot lived, worked and wrote.

Four websites you visit daily:
1) Yahoo
2) Google
3) Boing Boing
4) You Tube

Four of your favorite foods:
Now we're talking...
1) There's this one cheese called Bourchon, I think. It's a goat's milk cheese and when it's ripe, deeeeelicious but I can also just go with brie on crusty french bread - maybe with artichoke hearts.
2) Bacon on toasted sourdough (although I try not to eat. Poor little pigs but let's pretend we don't know.)
3) A great Caesar salad
4) There is this lemon custard ice cream that Dreyer's used to make that they don't anymore that is so good....or the perfect green tea ice cream
also, a great cheeseburger of any sort (don't think about the cow...sorry cow), hot fudge sundaes, tangerine juice, really good peaches and milk.

Four places you would rather be:
That involves so many things including who I'm with, what time of year, etc. but let's just say
1) A really nice hotel in any charming town.
2) Getting a massage
3) Working in my sunny garden with everything blooming and going wild
4) In a country where I don't speak the language, warm evening, music is playing and I'm with friends drinking wine.