November 7, 2008 at 02:06 (Uncategorized)
Tags: Corn Chowder, Dog Fair, Eclipse, Fall, German Chocolate Cake, Walmart, work
So although I stayed up much much too late last night I was up early this morning so that I could get some food made for my co-workers. I was being quite energetic and had decided to make a true German Chocolate Cake and Corn Chowder to commemorate how cold it is getting tonight!
First thing after i woke up and let the pups out I hopped in the car and headed to Walmart. I picked up a couple things I had forgotten yesterday and got home and back to work. Three hours later I had loads of food prepared and even relaxed on the couch to read a couple chapters out of “Eclipse”.
Work has been moving right along. I’ve been working diligently on some extra work related items and that has my head swimming all hours of the day with ideas and “what ifs”. It’s been fun. It has actually re-energized me back to my job. Burn out runs rampant in this field and so it’s just good to know that yes, I can decide to like my job, even on those bad days.
The weekend coming up is going to be fantastic. I feel like a kid before Christmas. i am just so excited. I’ll keep you updated as we go along!!! I’m really looking forward to the Dog Fair on Sunday, but have some pretty awesome plans for Saturday too. Monday and Tuesday I have to fnish some things at home and I’ll be able to start the next week with renewed energy again! All is definitely right with the world. Who knew???
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November 5, 2008 at 23:23 (Uncategorized)
Tags: Apaloosa, Body of Lies, Down, Eclipse, Fall, Front, Sit, sleep, Stay, Stephenie Meyer, Wisconsin Dog Fair
It was the last beautiful day of the year I think. It’s supposed to do nothing but colder from here on out through the weekend. Good thing I have a four day weekend coming up. How lucky am I?
The pups have been great! I worked with Ben last night before dinner time on some basic obedience. He is learning “stay” from the “down” position and allowing me to walk away. He did really, really well. We also worked on “front” and random “sits” and “downs”. We worked just a few minutes but he tried his hardest and wants to do his best.
The two of them slept peacefully in the living room last night while I slept in bed. It was awesome sleep and they kept each other company so I didn’t feel bad. This morning I was so refreshed from three good nights of sleep that I actually went out running. I even did some weight training last night too. Whew. It’s amazing what a positive attitude can change!
The weekend is coming up! Yippee!! I haven’t been to a movie in ages so I think I’m going to do that, Body of Lies maybe, or Apaloosa, not sure which. I also have the Wisconsin Dog Fair on Sunday, so that will keep me busy! I’d also like to catch up with some friends I haven’t seen and I actually have some work stuff that REALLY needs to get done.
Nothing else too exciting. I’ve read the first few chapters of “Eclipse” and I’m so happy that I went and bought the book. I went to Stephenie Meyer’s website yesterday to see what else she had on the horizon and it looks like by the time I finish her currently published books there should be another one out there for me to read! Woot!!
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November 4, 2008 at 21:42 (Uncategorized)
Tags: Eclipse, Election Day
Just a quick post. It’s Election Day and I’m excited to get done with work so that I can go vote. I ended up being all busy this morning and by the time I had walked the dogs and made a desert for work (I promised) it was time to go to work, but, I should have time right after if I hurry.
I went and bought “Eclipse” today!! So, thats why I want to hurry and post, because I am excited to start reading!!!!!
Other than that, not much going on. Had a pleasant conversation with a nice lady at the Virginia ATF office. I love southern accents!
The pups slept in their crates last night for the second night in a row and I think everyone actually slept better, so we’ll probably continue the tradition. Everyone is happier when mom is well-rested.
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October 31, 2008 at 03:31 (Uncategorized)
Tags: Alley, Ben, Eclipse, Fortress of Ice
We are in a routine now. Ben, Alley and I have settled into daily life and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how he has adjusted.
He wakes me up with Alley’s help every morning about 0730. His big ol’ puss in my ear is actually a better alarm clock then the “buzzing” kind, so I don’t mind. Plus, he seems to have a snooze. If i push his big ol’ head away he comes back in a few minutes to try again!
He has not had one accident in the house. He stays home with Al, uncrated, while I work and has not destroyed one thing. He goes potty in the yard, off lead, and stays within his boundaries that I set the first day. He walks nicely on lead and he greets everyone appropriately. He barks only when he hears someone at the door and has adjusted to “apartment” living and the noise from the other apartments.
I just cannot say enough good things about this boy. Oh, and he performs his basic obedience commands without fail, immediately. I had to laugh though, last night a friend was over, a friend I want Ben to accept to come into the house when I’m not home. So I was having my buddy feed him treats and tell him to Sit. My friend told him to sit and Ben looked at me. Now if that isn’t a “boy dog” response, I don’t know what is.
I started reading a new book last night, “Fortress of Ice”. I don’t know if it’s what I really want to read right now, I keep thinking about “Eclipse”, but, if I read real fast I can start “Eclipse” next Thursday.
Otherwise, today was a beautiful day. Too bad I slept through most of it because I have a rather late work schedule the next few days and wanted to get some sleep ahead of time.
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October 29, 2008 at 23:32 (Uncategorized)
Tags: Alley, Ben, C.J. Cherryh, Charles Henderson, Eclipse, Election Day, Fortress of Ice, Grant, Half-Price Books, Halloween, Kate Remembered, Katherine Hepburn, leather dog collars, Marine Sniper, New Moon, Silent Witness, Terri Schiavo
Things are progressing well and I’ve found a couple places that I can get collars from and so I’m waiting on a call back from a retailer that may be able to get me a wholesale price. Leather studded collars, especially in Ben’s size (26 – 28″) are a little pricey. Isn’t that a heck of a neck. My waist is 28″… are you kidding me? Alley by comparison needs an 18″ collar. Which I found in the most beautiful pink today for $50, but they didn’t have Ben’s size.
Here are a few pics from today!
Ben Taking a Break on the Couch
They are getting along fine!
As you can tell, Alley and Ben are really getting along well. It’s amazing to me. At first I thought, oh, they’re just getting along well because they’ve been together for a week already, but, when Grant was here, who Alley has known for years, she never settled down with him to this extent. They liked each other but would never lay like this. It’s only Day Six and they’re already sleeping with each other.
This was the second pic, in the first pic they were much closer, but Alley got up when I got up to get the camera.
Our day was pretty calm, we all just kind of sat around and took it easy. I finished “New Moon” and I still haven’t actually bought “Eclipse”, although I’ve looked at it at Walmart and then again today at Half Price Books.
I think I’ll wait till my next paycheck, so I’m going to start one of these other books next to the couch. I have a couple books to choose from. Either “Kate Remembered” about Katherine Hepburn or “Silent Witness” about Terri Schiavo… or, if I’m not up to that kind of deep reading maybe “Fortress of Ice” by C. J. Cherryh, a good fantasy book. A friend just lent me “Marine Sniper” by Charles Henderson. I’ve read it once before, but, I look forward to reading it again.
Election Day is quickly approaching. I’ve never had a presidential election who’s outcome will effect me so personally. And Halloween is right around the corner.
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October 28, 2008 at 21:51 (Uncategorized)
Tags: ABC, Alley, Ben, Bones, Boston Legal, dog collar, Eclipse, FOX, Fringe, House, Kitchen Nightmares, Kong, leather dog collar, Mastiff, NCIS, New Moon, spiked dog collar, tracking
Ben is such a snuggle bear! He’s adjusting to my schedule so well. He played with Alley till it was time for bed last night and then settled right in with his “sucky”, his favorite red kong he sucks on. He got into bed for a few minutes and then looked at me, got up out of bed and walked out into the living room and returned a minute later with his “sucky”, got back into bed and fell asleep. He is just beyond words!
He slept until 0700 and then just snuggled until I finally relented and got out of bed about 0730. It was a good night sleep!
We went out for our walk about 0830 and it was funny because just yesterday I was reading about how Mastiffs are big chow hounds. Well, yesterday on our walk he found a bagel, yes, the bread-food things, and he ate it before I could get it away from him. Today on our walk he found half a McDonalds burger, still in the wrapper, and something wrapped in tin foil. I was able to wrestle both from him before he ate them. He also tried to eat what I believe was vomit. Ugh… dragging a 175lb dog away from vomit…. I didn’t see that one coming when I woke up this morning!!! LOL!
He is highly interested in every piece of trash we come upon now. He’ll be a great tracking dog!!!
Meanwhile, Ben was also perfect yesterday while he and Alley were home. I came home to a house that was in the exact same condition as I had left it. I was soooo proud. I could never ever have done that with a Weim!
I didn’t finish “New Moon” last night like I wanted. But I did look for “Eclipse” while I was in the store today. Ugh… It’s still only in hardcover. I don’t have a problem paying $5 or $10 bucks for a book… but, hardcover is always so much pricier…. sigh…
I did however watch quite a few episodes of Boston Legal and my first episode of NCIS. I’ve really gotten into watching episodes of TV online. I started because I’d missed an epsiode of “House” a few weeks ago and I was able to catch it online. Then I watched all of this season’s BONES episodes, and then Kitchen Nightmares, then Fringe… and so on and so forth. If you get a chance, watch the episode of Boston Legal titled “The Bad Seed” Episode 5, Season 5 on ABC.com. Also, watch the new show Fringe. I didn’t think I’d like it much at first, from the commercials, but, it’s really just a new version of the X-Files if you ask me, and a little bit of a better plot line. I’ve watched every episode and I have my DVR set to record tonight!
I also decided I need to get collars for Alley and Ben. I used to have a little leather collar for Al when she was a puppy, but it was when she was very little. I’d like to get Ben a good heavy leather collar for when we’re on our walks, and so I might as well get them matching collars, don’t you think?
Pyramid Studded Leather Dog Collar
So do I get them some like this??? Black for Ben, Red for Alley? Or something like this?
Pink Spiked Leather CollarBlack Leather Spiked Collar
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October 27, 2008 at 16:36 (Uncategorized)
Tags: Alley, Ben, Eclipse, New Moon, pitbull, Stephenie Meyer, Topper, Twilight, walking dogs
Good Morning!!
Today is the first day that Ben has to stay at home while I go to work. We went for a long walk this morning before I left and he should be tired enough to sleep until I get home.
Our walk was so much fun. This is the second walk that he and Alley have been on and they were much better today, not that they were bad before, but every day they grow closer and this morning they were in a cooperative mood. Every leaf that moved they both investigated. What one looked at the other had to see too. It was fun. It reminded me of the days of Alley and Topper. That makes my heart happy!
I think we make quite the picture as we walk. We had a young man with a pitbull cross to the other side of the street when he saw us coming. I had another older man go off the sidewalk and pass us about 6 feet away. As we’re passing he smiles and says to me, “You know what you have there?” I respond, “What?”. He says, “You have the right of way!” I laughed for a block.
Ben was in a great mood this morning. The walk was a necessity if he was going to stay in today. He and Alley were playing as I was trying to get out of bed, not so easy for me! Alley is notoriously fun loving in the morning. She thinks morning is the most exciting and fun time of the day. We do not share that feeling! She was barking at Ben, play bowing, trying to get him to get up. He thankfully slept from midnight to 0630 without so much as moving, and had I gone to bed earlier, I would have gotten more sleep as he had been out for hours before I finally stopped reading and went to bed.
Of course, if I wasn’t reading this book, I’d get more sleep. In the past two weeks I’ve read first, “Twilight” and now I just have 60 pages left in “New Moon”. Ugh… I guess I better go buy the third book tonight! That’s “Eclipse”, right?
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