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Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Dog on Alert
At 4:30 a.m. I watch last night's shows or scan Facebook for postings and pics of college girl doing something fun or new. At 4:30 a.m. everyone else sleeps except the people who work night shifts and we used to be one of those families but we are not any longer. (a run on I'm sure, but I'm working on stopping my use of....... dot dot dot dot).
Mattie will hear me make coffee and stroll down the hall yawning and stretching. Stevie doesn't budge. If I turn on the light and stumble into a chair leaving the bedroom, he still doesn't budge.
So Mattie comes in and sits down beside me this morning and is suggling up in her (mine) blanket. A bit later she sits up and growls low growls. She chirps low barks. She paces back and forth from the front window but she won't go out the back which is odd because she loves the cool dark. Sometimes you'll find her out in the yard in the cool dark chewing a bone or looking around, kind of like she's waiting for a show to begin.
This morning her growl and chirp time lasted 20 minutes so I woke up the leader and told him the girl was wonky and needed his guidance. What I really said was put on your pants and shoes and take her outside to see if there is danger. Mattie thought there was danger and I thought he should investigate because he is the leader of the dogs and the one who stole my pug's love so he should go, not me.
They didn't find anything. She seemed happy. I finished watching NCIS.
Pugs don't go on alert. Ever.
Mattie will hear me make coffee and stroll down the hall yawning and stretching. Stevie doesn't budge. If I turn on the light and stumble into a chair leaving the bedroom, he still doesn't budge.
So Mattie comes in and sits down beside me this morning and is suggling up in her (mine) blanket. A bit later she sits up and growls low growls. She chirps low barks. She paces back and forth from the front window but she won't go out the back which is odd because she loves the cool dark. Sometimes you'll find her out in the yard in the cool dark chewing a bone or looking around, kind of like she's waiting for a show to begin.
This morning her growl and chirp time lasted 20 minutes so I woke up the leader and told him the girl was wonky and needed his guidance. What I really said was put on your pants and shoes and take her outside to see if there is danger. Mattie thought there was danger and I thought he should investigate because he is the leader of the dogs and the one who stole my pug's love so he should go, not me.
They didn't find anything. She seemed happy. I finished watching NCIS.
Pugs don't go on alert. Ever.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Dogtoberfest
Stevie has no endurance. He simply can't hold up to the fun of the moment. And there was fun with a capital F. We met a banana, a bee, a pirate and rainbow poodles....yet, his enthusiasm waned. Mattie greeted and sniffed and whined for a nudge from the friends at Dogtoberfest. We went for fun and Stevie was carried back to the car by his momma. Mattie...well Mattie was again a perfect participant. Excited, but not jerking the leash. Happy tail wagging, but no lunging at new friends. Whining and sniffing, but no aggression or fear.
But what an unusual place to hold a dog event. Outside Nieman Marcus you could find beagles/hounds of varying sizes and mixtures. I don't think those inside shopping would want a knock off/mixture of beagle. And outside Tiffany's the doggies were peeing on the plants. One owner of a humongous dog left a humongous prize right outside a clothing specialty shop and shortly thereafter came the volunteers asking "do you have/need poop bags?" I tapped my purse and told her they were right here. She said "good girl" and I was transported back to my early school years when the teacher praises you for doing something like not eating the glue. I ate the paste in Kindergarten. It was green and smelled yummy.
And then came Pug Rescue. We sat there and watched a senior fawn male bark at us and I wondered if we should. RC said he wouldn't tell me no. We just finished a year where we lost both our seniors and I was thinking Mattie looked awfully happy to see a senior fawn pug...like her Ollie. It was a moment. Then we had to move away or I would have been carrying Stevie and the senior to my car. We were good parents to our senior boys. And while chewed magazines and nightly walks are part of the new regime....I don't think it's time to add to the family just yet. But I do know which one he was on the Pug Rescue website. I'm keeping an eye on him for now.
But what an unusual place to hold a dog event. Outside Nieman Marcus you could find beagles/hounds of varying sizes and mixtures. I don't think those inside shopping would want a knock off/mixture of beagle. And outside Tiffany's the doggies were peeing on the plants. One owner of a humongous dog left a humongous prize right outside a clothing specialty shop and shortly thereafter came the volunteers asking "do you have/need poop bags?" I tapped my purse and told her they were right here. She said "good girl" and I was transported back to my early school years when the teacher praises you for doing something like not eating the glue. I ate the paste in Kindergarten. It was green and smelled yummy.
And then came Pug Rescue. We sat there and watched a senior fawn male bark at us and I wondered if we should. RC said he wouldn't tell me no. We just finished a year where we lost both our seniors and I was thinking Mattie looked awfully happy to see a senior fawn pug...like her Ollie. It was a moment. Then we had to move away or I would have been carrying Stevie and the senior to my car. We were good parents to our senior boys. And while chewed magazines and nightly walks are part of the new regime....I don't think it's time to add to the family just yet. But I do know which one he was on the Pug Rescue website. I'm keeping an eye on him for now.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
My life in dogs
Sam, a beagle Herman, a daschound who stuck his head under our fence and stayed
Fred, a Weimerainer they bought in Dallas
Greta, another Weim found wandering the streets close to my school in 6th grade
she was my childhood counterpart to Bart...a standout among dogs.
Rosy, a mutt who bit people and was really really mean..
Clyde, an Irish Setter that was about as mellow as a dog could ever be...but did bite the tail off a squirrel once
Once I moved out, married there first was:
Luder, a Boston Terrier who growled at me regularly when I came to bed and he found a good country home when we moved to the big city
Sissy, a rescue who jumped fences and wandered and sadly who lost her life trying to come back home after an escape
Elvis, another Boston who lived and jumped for 10 happy years
and then came the PUGS
Ollie...well documented and much loved fawn pug who gave us 14 years of wonderful pugness.
Bart ..two years later a sort of rescue and the final stop on his merry go round of living arrangements. In 5 months approx. 4 different locations (some repeated) he kind of had some issues with bonding and nothing was sticking. (some people were not very nice to him either) He moved in with us...terrorized Ollie for about 2 months and then we were all good to go. He went to dog heaven last Jan.
I'll just add...caring for two senior dogs and sending your last kid off to college IS NOT highly recommended. However...it is what it is. If you love dogs...there is no other choice but to care for them as they age and fall apart in front of you. It kind of gives you an idea of what 75 might be like when you get there.
The new generation is young and full of energy and is shaping up nicely.
Fred, a Weimerainer they bought in Dallas
Greta, another Weim found wandering the streets close to my school in 6th grade
she was my childhood counterpart to Bart...a standout among dogs.
Rosy, a mutt who bit people and was really really mean..
Clyde, an Irish Setter that was about as mellow as a dog could ever be...but did bite the tail off a squirrel once
Once I moved out, married there first was:
Luder, a Boston Terrier who growled at me regularly when I came to bed and he found a good country home when we moved to the big city
Sissy, a rescue who jumped fences and wandered and sadly who lost her life trying to come back home after an escape
Elvis, another Boston who lived and jumped for 10 happy years
and then came the PUGS
Ollie...well documented and much loved fawn pug who gave us 14 years of wonderful pugness.
Bart ..two years later a sort of rescue and the final stop on his merry go round of living arrangements. In 5 months approx. 4 different locations (some repeated) he kind of had some issues with bonding and nothing was sticking. (some people were not very nice to him either) He moved in with us...terrorized Ollie for about 2 months and then we were all good to go. He went to dog heaven last Jan.
I'll just add...caring for two senior dogs and sending your last kid off to college IS NOT highly recommended. However...it is what it is. If you love dogs...there is no other choice but to care for them as they age and fall apart in front of you. It kind of gives you an idea of what 75 might be like when you get there.
The new generation is young and full of energy and is shaping up nicely.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Loving Dogs
came upon this poem.......
First of all, it's a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York,
So think long and hard before deciding on love,
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you're walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain't no one going to mess with you.
because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
who know what love could do in its own defense?
On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes up all hours of the night with its needs,
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.
Love doesn't like being left alone for long.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.
Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don't you ever do that again!
Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise.
It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
It pulls you in several different directions at once,
or winds around and around you
until you're all wound up and can't move.
but loves makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.
by Taylor Mali
First of all, it's a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York,
So think long and hard before deciding on love,
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you're walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain't no one going to mess with you.
because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
who know what love could do in its own defense?
On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes up all hours of the night with its needs,
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.
Love doesn't like being left alone for long.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.
Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don't you ever do that again!
Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise.
It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
It pulls you in several different directions at once,
or winds around and around you
until you're all wound up and can't move.
but loves makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.
by Taylor Mali
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Dogtoberfest is coming at The Domain
The Domain in Austin is holding a dog event next weekend. I visited the website and now I'm thinking that the pumpkin outfit for Stevie and the orange Halloween bandanna for Mattie are not going to turn a single head in their direction.
It's been a few years since we participated in any type of group dog activity, but once upon a time we used to do the Mighty Texas Dog Walk (pugs in wagons was what it really looked like) that benefited the Texas Hearing and Service Dogs group. Pug Rescue and Hound Rescue, Little Paws and Small Chance Rescue are just half of the 8 rescue groups benefiting from this year's event.
I saw the pug CHUNK on their rescue page. He used to be 60 something pounds and now he needs a home. :)
I'm not a bit afraid to take Mattie out to a gathering of this type. She always makes her parents proud. She has almost fully conquered her fears of EVERYTHING. Especially if we are all there together as a group. Stevie has the cute factor, but he behaves like a puppy, always. His big selling point is he isn't afraid of anything. It brings out a side in Mattie that we love. She wanted to play with Ollie and Bart when she first became ours...but senior pugs sleep, not play. She and Stevie are a pair now. Brother and Sister. Our first dog themed event as a family.
Black and white...fur with orange Halloween bandannas and black and white.....clothes with orange Halloween bandannas. Maybe understated is the way to go.
It's been a few years since we participated in any type of group dog activity, but once upon a time we used to do the Mighty Texas Dog Walk (pugs in wagons was what it really looked like) that benefited the Texas Hearing and Service Dogs group. Pug Rescue and Hound Rescue, Little Paws and Small Chance Rescue are just half of the 8 rescue groups benefiting from this year's event.
I saw the pug CHUNK on their rescue page. He used to be 60 something pounds and now he needs a home. :)
I'm not a bit afraid to take Mattie out to a gathering of this type. She always makes her parents proud. She has almost fully conquered her fears of EVERYTHING. Especially if we are all there together as a group. Stevie has the cute factor, but he behaves like a puppy, always. His big selling point is he isn't afraid of anything. It brings out a side in Mattie that we love. She wanted to play with Ollie and Bart when she first became ours...but senior pugs sleep, not play. She and Stevie are a pair now. Brother and Sister. Our first dog themed event as a family.
Black and white...fur with orange Halloween bandannas and black and white.....clothes with orange Halloween bandannas. Maybe understated is the way to go.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Spoiled dogs
I completely understand picky eating. I don't like cheese; gravy and sauces are not allowed on my plate. But come on. This stuff is 43 dollars a bag. The bag is 15 pounds. A 17 pound bag of Kibbles and Bits, Ollie and Bart's favorite, was around 20.00. The new dogs are eating the steak version of dog food and it's Stevie's fault. If you try to mix brands and wean the new crew off of it...they pick it out and leave the Kibbles and Bits. Seriously.. I have dog bowls left with Kibbles and a mess on the floor where they played around with it in their mouths, found the steak and spit out the Kibbles. I haven't tasted the stuff, but either it has addictive qualities or Mattie and Stevie are ganging up on us because we no longer have to pay teenage boy car insurance or repairs.
5-6 bags of the stuff will buy a plane ticket to Missouri. One bag is dinner for two at Z Tejas and a good margarita. We're the adults here. We can choose not to buy the stuff.......they were so happy with the new bag last night. Stevie arrived from Oklahoma with instructions for feeding and his diet included this stuff. The high priced food was supposed to hide that his momma was probably his great aunt and his daddy was probably his brother. My best new pug who doesn't love me has bottom fangs, jazz paws and plays like a cat. We kept thinking we would stop, we kept complaining about the cost, Mattie kept looking at the different food and sneaking bites, Ollie RIP liked the tiny pieces too.
We are doomed to Puppy 33.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
paws/feet
If the paws or feet hurt, you should give them a rest. My doggies give their paws plenty of rest, but when hiking @ lake Quachita last month I definitely noticed a slower pace towards the end of 4.5 miles. Stevie has documented proof he didn't walk the whole way. Riding in a backpack carried by dad was the alternative to dragging, which I'm sure is banned in all corners of the globe. Dog dragging would just never be an acceptable option.
Dogs don't care if their nails are too long, but they do care if you grab their paw and won't let go. We care if their nails are too long because they hurt. We're off to get nail trims this afternoon. I'm thinking if I write it down, I'll get it done.
On the human side, if your feet hurt you must figure out how to make it stop or the quality of your life suffers tremendously. After hefty doses of time, money and patience, I have achieved almost pain free walking again. Included were 2 doc visits, 3 new pairs of shoes, two weeks of hideous taping, two pairs of orthotics insoles for both athletic and every day shoes and on a side note who would have ever thought your could spend THAT kind of money on shoes (which are not really all that attractive) and STILL need orthotic inserts.
Paws are low maintenance and until August I though my feet were too.
Falling off the high healed funeral shoes in a parking lot did much to hasten what probably had been coming, but now I place paw care up there with the biggies like teeth and eyes.
I feel heart broken for the woman who came into my favorite store (for years I've worn Dansko clogs from In Step in Austin) for shoes for her hurting feet. She said they were all ugly shoes and she would not wear them and she left. I thought she might be late 60 something, had hair salon hair, a trim figure with blazer and slacks. I wanted to run after her and tell her she could be pain free....if she'll only wear the ugly shoes too. I make my heart happy by having pretty toes inside my ugly shoes. I am going to do that today too.
Dogs don't care if their nails are too long, but they do care if you grab their paw and won't let go. We care if their nails are too long because they hurt. We're off to get nail trims this afternoon. I'm thinking if I write it down, I'll get it done.
On the human side, if your feet hurt you must figure out how to make it stop or the quality of your life suffers tremendously. After hefty doses of time, money and patience, I have achieved almost pain free walking again. Included were 2 doc visits, 3 new pairs of shoes, two weeks of hideous taping, two pairs of orthotics insoles for both athletic and every day shoes and on a side note who would have ever thought your could spend THAT kind of money on shoes (which are not really all that attractive) and STILL need orthotic inserts.
Paws are low maintenance and until August I though my feet were too.
Falling off the high healed funeral shoes in a parking lot did much to hasten what probably had been coming, but now I place paw care up there with the biggies like teeth and eyes.
I feel heart broken for the woman who came into my favorite store (for years I've worn Dansko clogs from In Step in Austin) for shoes for her hurting feet. She said they were all ugly shoes and she would not wear them and she left. I thought she might be late 60 something, had hair salon hair, a trim figure with blazer and slacks. I wanted to run after her and tell her she could be pain free....if she'll only wear the ugly shoes too. I make my heart happy by having pretty toes inside my ugly shoes. I am going to do that today too.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Dog Friendly
I spent 2 hours this morning finishing what I should have finished when I first started making plane/hotel reservations back in August. I spent a couple of hours then and did a lot, patted myself on the back and took a break. My break lasted until this morning.
We're driving to Arkansas, Fayetteville, to be specific, to see the Tigers swim. I love that 8 hours is shorter than 12 or 13, but it's still a long long way to go.
One lesson learned from taking the doggies on a road trip would be, forget spending extra dollars on a bigger ride and take the Yaris. Both dogs spent the entire trip jockeying for the middle ride between the parents and of course the big girl won every time. I pulled Stevie out of the gear shifter a lot because he never gave up trying to claim that spot for his own.
So...in the world of "dog friendly" hotels in small town Arkansas you can choose between Econolodge yep...just the name is scary or La Quinta (our standard go to for clean dog friendly sleep) and the high point was Embassy Suites in Hot Springs but then they charged a 35.00 pet fee per night. Eases the mind a bit when you know that they are sleeping with mom and dad instead of at the cement floor kennel full of strange barking pups who might have a contagious thing. And now I sound ridiculous.
Anyway...Best Western and Springhill Suites seems to be what we're left with on this trip. They are in the cities halfway and our final destination. I like that when the leader of this pack takes me away by myself, he let's me pick pretty much any place I want. We've stayed in some beautiful inns, resorts and B&B's. But not so when you travel with the dogs. The choices are always very limited and if you are traveling through more rural type communities the choices are fewer. This trip we're even going to try and pass Mattie off as a "small dog". If these people only knew. She is a gem. She is perfect. She might be a tad larger than "small dog", but she has the manners so that no one would even care. She is angelic. I'll let you know how it all goes. BTW it was our leader who declared almost a year ago this October, "I'll never leave "my girl" in one of those places ever again." He happened to be the one who had to take and pick up the old pugs and our 1 month new Mattie girl to the Dog Resort where they had reservations for 3 days. We were taking our first trip away to MO to see the college girl swim. He didn't like it one bit...she (mattie) didn't like it one bit...and we're not one bit closer to ever going back.
I booked my plane ride for December to see our Tiger girl swim minus the dogs and dad, booked college girl's rides in the sky for the remaining holidays and learned a valuable lesson.
If you create a folder titled Missouri in your email box..you should go ahead and put those Missouri email in it and then you will always have the information you need. I let them stay in the email box that filled to a number in the thousand or so range, frustration was high, so I hit delete. I'll be paying for that mistake for a bit to come.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Randomness
Random #1 " hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard" googled for the author, and a basketball player was credited.
Random #2 "tigerwear" defined as any item of jewelry or clothing or accessory that is black/gold or covered in some form of tiger. I am severely lacking in "tigerwear".
Random #3 I love NCIS Sad, but true. The only explanation I can give is I like the problem, solution, happily ever happy thing a lot.
Random #4 Small children should not be required to take standardized tests and the people who force this issue have long left the classroom or were never a part of it in the first place. I gave one today because it was in the job description.
Random #5 If your youngster can touch their knees with their fingertips, you might have a swimmer on your hands. Or a gorilla just walked into your presence.
Random #6 If you sit in the stands as a parent of an aspiring swimmer, make it a point to NOT know their times. Just buy the suits, goggles and pay the coach with money and Outback Steaks.
Random #5 Remember to be on time to parent conferences.
Random #6 Take time to pack a good lunch and the day seems lighter and brighter than when you forget to pack a good lunch.
Random #7 Vern Yip rocks...the designer and the one who lives here at my house.
Random #8 You CAN have too much HGTV.
Random #9 I think swimming fast is an oxymoron.
Random#10 Make sure one of your dogs is a good dog if you own more than one. The bad dog (does anyone remember the dog expert, woman with white hair and accent who said "there are no bad dogs?" ) will notice and eventually come through for you. Thank you Mattie and Ollie for all your hard work.
Random #11 I like Mad Men. I had a hairdo like Sally when I was little.
Random #12 Every person who is sad their last child has left the house should get themselves a Stevie of their very own.
Random #13 I remember saying to EVERYONE I wasn't one of "those" mothers. Turns out I was WRONG.
Random #14 If you are going to have children, their future teachers would appreciate it if you could talk to them. Anything is OK. Just put down your gadgets and talk to them. TV is OK too....but you can't skip the talking part. There are these little synapses in their brains that won't connect if you don't talk.
Random #15 Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen
Random #16 There is a chance there won't be a new James Bond movie for some time. I read it somewhere.
Random #17 I believe in hair color. I believe in pedicures.
Random #18 If your feet aren't happy you aren't happy.
Random #18b Buy good shoes.
Random #19 "UP" is a great movie. It has everything...a kid, a grandpa, a great house that flies, a dog, squirrels, more dogs, a great love, a great sadness...simply everything is in "UP".
Random #20 Sugar is excellent,possibly a food group...but I'm cutting back. Mattie loves candy.
Random #2 "tigerwear" defined as any item of jewelry or clothing or accessory that is black/gold or covered in some form of tiger. I am severely lacking in "tigerwear".
Random #3 I love NCIS Sad, but true. The only explanation I can give is I like the problem, solution, happily ever happy thing a lot.
Random #4 Small children should not be required to take standardized tests and the people who force this issue have long left the classroom or were never a part of it in the first place. I gave one today because it was in the job description.
Random #5 If your youngster can touch their knees with their fingertips, you might have a swimmer on your hands. Or a gorilla just walked into your presence.
Random #6 If you sit in the stands as a parent of an aspiring swimmer, make it a point to NOT know their times. Just buy the suits, goggles and pay the coach with money and Outback Steaks.
Random #5 Remember to be on time to parent conferences.
Random #6 Take time to pack a good lunch and the day seems lighter and brighter than when you forget to pack a good lunch.
Random #7 Vern Yip rocks...the designer and the one who lives here at my house.
Random #8 You CAN have too much HGTV.
Random #9 I think swimming fast is an oxymoron.
Random#10 Make sure one of your dogs is a good dog if you own more than one. The bad dog (does anyone remember the dog expert, woman with white hair and accent who said "there are no bad dogs?" ) will notice and eventually come through for you. Thank you Mattie and Ollie for all your hard work.
Random #11 I like Mad Men. I had a hairdo like Sally when I was little.
Random #12 Every person who is sad their last child has left the house should get themselves a Stevie of their very own.
Random #13 I remember saying to EVERYONE I wasn't one of "those" mothers. Turns out I was WRONG.
Random #14 If you are going to have children, their future teachers would appreciate it if you could talk to them. Anything is OK. Just put down your gadgets and talk to them. TV is OK too....but you can't skip the talking part. There are these little synapses in their brains that won't connect if you don't talk.
Random #15 Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen
Random #16 There is a chance there won't be a new James Bond movie for some time. I read it somewhere.
Random #17 I believe in hair color. I believe in pedicures.
Random #18 If your feet aren't happy you aren't happy.
Random #18b Buy good shoes.
Random #19 "UP" is a great movie. It has everything...a kid, a grandpa, a great house that flies, a dog, squirrels, more dogs, a great love, a great sadness...simply everything is in "UP".
Random #20 Sugar is excellent,possibly a food group...but I'm cutting back. Mattie loves candy.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
COMO (short for Columbia, Missouri)
I had a plan. The plan did not unfold the way I had hoped. It was an exciting weekend with the college girl, swimming, and the doggies and my brain wasn't exactly thinking..."post pictures on blog".
Stevie leaned how to be a hamster this weekend, college girl swam well and while Vern Yip did a great job in August setting up the college girl's room in the house she now shares with three other swimmer girls)...there was definitely room for improvement. We added a cushy orange sale chair...the kind a college kid should not have because it is really really nice..but a leg was cracked and the store was practically giving it away... it was the huge bargain of the weekend, new curtains (even though Vern tried....he should have been at Target and not Walmart)
a headboard (Vern's wife would have bought it when Vern bought bed last May, but Vern's wife had to stay home because this was VERN's trip to MO alone to attend End Of Year swimmer banquet...and VERN's WIFE is not still BITTER. Really.)
More pillows, lamps, and a rug made the room feel homey and complete. Now college/swimmer girl is ready to entertain her incoming recruit from Austin this weekend! Which brings back shivers because there was nothing more stressful than that high school senior year recruiting business! UGH.
Enough with the room....Stevie is part hamster. Mattie is perfect and is N.E.V.E.R. crated in a hotel. Stevie...not so much. Took the pop up crate and popped him inside and went off to watch swimming. Returned...he had collapsed the thing and was laying flat inside. Round 2. Apparently flat inside was not an option and getting out was the plan... so we popped him back inside and went off to watch swimming for the afternoon session. Returned...he was o.u.t. out. Door a little scratched...but no other damage. Remember Mattie is sitting on the bed throughout all of this looking queen like and superior. Round 3. Popped him inside the next morning to go watch swimming and we're going to tie the zipper shut...before we get that far he starts climbing up the side of the nylon crate and flips it over...climbs up the same side and flips it again...and off he goes flipping the crate around the room making desperate squeaking noises. I proclaim he will be traumatized, must be released and Mattie will ensure his safety and good behavior while we are away. VERN says I care nothing for his sanity and the charges he will be billed for destruction and we drive away to the pool.
Finally...we attended no tiger parent gatherings. VERN likes them. He is always popular and smiling and joking. VERN's wife is grumpy and hugs the wall and counts the articles of "tigerwear" in the room. I have a few items of "tigerwear" and increased my count by adding two new baseball caps. VERN said I have only one head and college girl was shocked when I hollered Vern's name to come to the other end of the bookstore to the empty registers and to view the new food area that wasn't there the last time I was there. Forgot that Vern had seen it in August (again when I wasn't there) and sulked until college girl said we could walk her to class. She proclaimed there was nothing we could do that embarrassed her even after I hollered in the bookstore. So we walked college girl to her class and said goodbye until lunch. (these events are out of order).
And then I cried. I cried when the last event of the last evening was finished. I didn't mean to cry, it just sort of started. I warned the girl it was coming in case she wanted to flee...but she hugged me instead and started crying too. I felt bad for starting her tears and then turned to a complete stranger man wearing his own "tigerwear" and said "I don't want to go home."
That pretty much sums up our trip and since no one who is the boss of me reads this I'll add that I'm going to Arkansas in November with Vern and the dogs and to a three day meet in Missouri in December minus Vern and the dogs.
The End.
BTW... i only know how to post pics as individual posts. just keep scrolling on down.
Stevie leaned how to be a hamster this weekend, college girl swam well and while Vern Yip did a great job in August setting up the college girl's room in the house she now shares with three other swimmer girls)...there was definitely room for improvement. We added a cushy orange sale chair...the kind a college kid should not have because it is really really nice..but a leg was cracked and the store was practically giving it away... it was the huge bargain of the weekend, new curtains (even though Vern tried....he should have been at Target and not Walmart)
a headboard (Vern's wife would have bought it when Vern bought bed last May, but Vern's wife had to stay home because this was VERN's trip to MO alone to attend End Of Year swimmer banquet...and VERN's WIFE is not still BITTER. Really.)
More pillows, lamps, and a rug made the room feel homey and complete. Now college/swimmer girl is ready to entertain her incoming recruit from Austin this weekend! Which brings back shivers because there was nothing more stressful than that high school senior year recruiting business! UGH.
Enough with the room....Stevie is part hamster. Mattie is perfect and is N.E.V.E.R. crated in a hotel. Stevie...not so much. Took the pop up crate and popped him inside and went off to watch swimming. Returned...he had collapsed the thing and was laying flat inside. Round 2. Apparently flat inside was not an option and getting out was the plan... so we popped him back inside and went off to watch swimming for the afternoon session. Returned...he was o.u.t. out. Door a little scratched...but no other damage. Remember Mattie is sitting on the bed throughout all of this looking queen like and superior. Round 3. Popped him inside the next morning to go watch swimming and we're going to tie the zipper shut...before we get that far he starts climbing up the side of the nylon crate and flips it over...climbs up the same side and flips it again...and off he goes flipping the crate around the room making desperate squeaking noises. I proclaim he will be traumatized, must be released and Mattie will ensure his safety and good behavior while we are away. VERN says I care nothing for his sanity and the charges he will be billed for destruction and we drive away to the pool.
Finally...we attended no tiger parent gatherings. VERN likes them. He is always popular and smiling and joking. VERN's wife is grumpy and hugs the wall and counts the articles of "tigerwear" in the room. I have a few items of "tigerwear" and increased my count by adding two new baseball caps. VERN said I have only one head and college girl was shocked when I hollered Vern's name to come to the other end of the bookstore to the empty registers and to view the new food area that wasn't there the last time I was there. Forgot that Vern had seen it in August (again when I wasn't there) and sulked until college girl said we could walk her to class. She proclaimed there was nothing we could do that embarrassed her even after I hollered in the bookstore. So we walked college girl to her class and said goodbye until lunch. (these events are out of order).
And then I cried. I cried when the last event of the last evening was finished. I didn't mean to cry, it just sort of started. I warned the girl it was coming in case she wanted to flee...but she hugged me instead and started crying too. I felt bad for starting her tears and then turned to a complete stranger man wearing his own "tigerwear" and said "I don't want to go home."
That pretty much sums up our trip and since no one who is the boss of me reads this I'll add that I'm going to Arkansas in November with Vern and the dogs and to a three day meet in Missouri in December minus Vern and the dogs.
The End.
BTW... i only know how to post pics as individual posts. just keep scrolling on down.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
A First!
Mattie and friends ventures into the world of college swimming for the first time this weekend because Mattie and all her friends are in college girl's college town to watch the Tigers swim. In fact college girl is so enthralled with her collegiate experience that she declared today she would be in school for at least 5 years and maybe more.
Yesterday the stands were filled only with Tiger parents and the assortment of yellow and black apparel was tremendous. The couple with yellow and black Hawaiian themed shirts were standouts amongst the crowd. This type of swim parent bonding is not in my nature so I watched from the back row, which is sadly also close to the front row. I ventured out and spoke to a few familiar faces...but mostly I just watched our girl smile and have fun with her friends and felt good inside that she isn't an introvert like me...but very very social like her dad.
The swimming; crazy events like 75's and 150's (odd yardage) since today is the real deal with surrounding Missouri teams, it was a nice change for the swimmers. She was first in one relay, one individual and also second in one relay and one individual. They have new suits, parkas, and a new attitude to go with their new coach! I think there are lots of happy swim days and success waiting for these tiger swimmers.
Dog update:
Mattie sits in the bed and watches whatever we leave her on T.V. yesterday lots of ESPN. Today I imagine she'll watch college football....Texas/OU...but she might be sleeping too. We venture back 3 or 4 times in the day to walk or bring the doggies to college girl. They visited her house Thursday night and Mattie was seriously stalking the house cat who, we believe, knew she was in imminent danger and displayed great cat like stealthiness in all of her moves. Mattie chases rabbits, squirrels and I have not mentioned before....she chases cats if we let her and the one who lies in wait to eat my birds needs to be chased.
Anyway....the cat played it smart, Mattie did not eat the house cat and we are all invited back for a sleepover. Thank you Amanda. The Aerobed will be in the mail soon for our next visit. :)
Stevie's behavior needs it's own post and pictures/video...so his update will wait.
Off to the ShowMeShowdown.....
Yesterday the stands were filled only with Tiger parents and the assortment of yellow and black apparel was tremendous. The couple with yellow and black Hawaiian themed shirts were standouts amongst the crowd. This type of swim parent bonding is not in my nature so I watched from the back row, which is sadly also close to the front row. I ventured out and spoke to a few familiar faces...but mostly I just watched our girl smile and have fun with her friends and felt good inside that she isn't an introvert like me...but very very social like her dad.
The swimming; crazy events like 75's and 150's (odd yardage) since today is the real deal with surrounding Missouri teams, it was a nice change for the swimmers. She was first in one relay, one individual and also second in one relay and one individual. They have new suits, parkas, and a new attitude to go with their new coach! I think there are lots of happy swim days and success waiting for these tiger swimmers.
Dog update:
Mattie sits in the bed and watches whatever we leave her on T.V. yesterday lots of ESPN. Today I imagine she'll watch college football....Texas/OU...but she might be sleeping too. We venture back 3 or 4 times in the day to walk or bring the doggies to college girl. They visited her house Thursday night and Mattie was seriously stalking the house cat who, we believe, knew she was in imminent danger and displayed great cat like stealthiness in all of her moves. Mattie chases rabbits, squirrels and I have not mentioned before....she chases cats if we let her and the one who lies in wait to eat my birds needs to be chased.
Anyway....the cat played it smart, Mattie did not eat the house cat and we are all invited back for a sleepover. Thank you Amanda. The Aerobed will be in the mail soon for our next visit. :)
Stevie's behavior needs it's own post and pictures/video...so his update will wait.
Off to the ShowMeShowdown.....
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