The best therapy

I’ve heard a few people lately mention how if they feel sad they have a hard time getting out of it. They mope around and just feel funky. Not funky like James Brown, funky like sighing deeply and sleeping a lot. Or crying I guess, though I think that’s leaning more towards depression.

I’m a pretty happy person, it takes a lot get me down, but when I start to feel the funk creepin’ in I grab my iPod, plug it into my stereo, choose my song of the moment and crank it. And I sing as loudly as I can, which also means singing off key and some type of awkward body gyrations. I’m not very cordinated. And I can’t sing. At all.

But you know, it works. My dogs get all happy and dance, and sometimes…. I dance with them. What can I say, happiness is contagious. I dare you to listen to someone laugh and not at least smile.

So that’s my therapy. It’s free, you don’t have to leave the house, and no one even needs to know you’re doing it.

Sing like nobody’s listening.

Getting back into it

I’m finally starting to get back into healthier diet and exercise.  I’m not going all crazy with the diet for the moment, or I know I’ll just go reeling off the wagon and land in a big pile of poo. And you know what poo is like. No matter how much you wash you always think ‘man, I had poo on me’.

I’m cutting sugar out again. No more baked goods. Be strong, put down the cupcake. I refuse to give up frozen yogurt though. It’s the only dairy I can eat, it’s mah re-ward.

Went for an interval run on the treadmill today. It’s cold here again and since I make a poor canadian I’m back hibernating.  I was diggin’ the whole ‘fast slow fast’ thing. Kept it interesting. I set the incline to three, and then five for the last five minutes. That was awesome, I think I’ll do it more often. Runing uphill is all kinds of fun!

I watched the Twilight movie. I’m sure I’ll be watching it again. It’s not great, but it’s not bad, either. It’s just kinda whatever. But it’s the only one they’ve made, so I’ll watch it. I still want to run Bella over with my car, though. She has to be the most irritating character in a novel, and she didn’t get any better on screen. Oh yeah, and Role Models was really f’ing funny. I love dick and fart jokes, I’m immature that way.

This is my Edward Cullen…..and yes I realize he’s not seventeen. But neither am I.

No teen angst, but I'm moody and brooding

When I first met Savvy

I met Savvy when she was three weeks old. Of course, I didn’t *really* know it was her. However, I fell head over heels for her the instant I saw her. I kept telling myself that she was too pretty, that she would go to a nice show home. I tried to be realistic. But I was smitten.

I stayed at Ann’s for three days, and all three days I was drawn to little pink. And the feeling seemed to be mutual…..

Don't worry, I'll let Ann know I want to go home with you

Time flies….

Savvy is nine months old as of today. That blows my mind. In same ways it seems like I’ve always had her. In others, it’s like we just met.

One thing I know for sure, I can’t imagine life without her.  She’s a dream to take places, be it walks or visiting, is extremely cuddly and affectionate (anyone who says dogs don’t like to be hugged is talking out of their butt. Savvy craves her snuggle time, the closer and tighter the better. And you have to kiss her soft muzzle, it makes her get all soft and squishy) and truly LOVES to train. Which makes me truly love to train!

But you know, she’s not perfect. I had to ‘GAAAHH!!!!!’ at her several times today as she kept trying to eat poo. She sure loves her frozen poopsicles. Especially the white ones. You know, from the dogs getting too much bone in their diet. My horrified expression and choking gasp used to be enough to stop her in her tracks, now it’s taking more drastic action. Finger pointing. Oh, I’m such a mean owner. But really. Would she kiss her mother with that poop mouth? Yes, she would. Which is exactly why she isn’t allowed to recycle.

This stick doesn't taste like poo

Here’s to you, Frau…

Today is a very special day. Today my best friend and most patient teacher turns six years old.

I can’t believe it’s been six years already, and I hope with all my heart to have at least six more. Keep smiling Frau.

You'll always be my baby girl

Diets and Dogshows

I’ll get the diet stuff out of the way first.

I’m getting fat. There, I said it.  I still have my leg muscle, but the little bit of butt muscle I had is now hiding under a layer of jiggly. Sigh. Back on the wagon tomorrow. I keep telling myself that bikini season is just around the corner, but my mind has a hard time believing me since it’s currently -25 outside.

Anyway, on to the dog show stuff.

Ann and I went to a dog show in Detroit on the weekend. If we hadn’t had so much fun it would have been a disaster. We got turned in the wrong direction twice thanks to the GPS, had to wait forever at the border and hardly got any sleep due to the screaming kids outside the hotel. Then they lost our spot on the bench at the show, so we had to get one assigned. Ann and Nova didn’t fair well in the obedience ring since none of us had gotten any sleep. We had to stay on the bench all day and by the time we were able to leave neither of us felt like staying another day so we came home.

In conformation there was only one rottie there that was nice looking. His name was Caesar and he took Breed and Group 3. He was very handsome.  I was able to visit with some breeds I like, specifically the Staffy Bulls, Frenchies and Bostons. It was like heaven. There were neat vendors there as well, but since I’d forgotten to exchange my Canadian money I left empty handed.

Ann told me some stories about her previous dog show adventures that left me either speechless or rolling with laughter. I learned a lot, as I always do when I visit with Ann, and it was nice to get out and socialize.

Popularity. I has it.

Enjoy it while it lasts….

Before you know it spring will be here. Every year I hate winter more and more. I’m grateful for it as the snow and freezing cold helps keep dog disease and parasites down, but I just really am not a winter person. I hate the cold, even a cool breeze has me running for a sweater.  Bring on the blazing heat of summer! I’m ready for it!

Here are Savvy and Frau enjoying what will *hopefully* be the last snow of winter.

Help, there's a rottweiler after me!

I’ll have what he’s having…

Without turning this into an eighteen page essay, I’ll suffice to say that my cat Tux has a long history of urinary problems. A long, expensive history.

Yesterday he was back to the vet and received some new meds and another food to try. These meds are different, and boy, does Tux like them. They’re anti-inflamatories and we were warned by Dr. McDreamy that they might ‘make him a bit out of it’. To which I replied ‘can I have some for the other cats too????’

Tux isn’t ‘out of it’ in the stoner sense. He doesn’t lie around half asleep and listening to Bob Marley over and over. Actually, he’s very awake and extremely happy. I come home from work and he greets me at the door with a meow that’s a bit too chipper for cat who just the day before had a strange man fondling his genitals. He then procedes to roll and rub all over the floor around me, purring up a storm. You can hear him from across the room.  His usual expression of chillaxation has been replaced with one of innocence and wide-eyed wonder at every little thing.  He spends his time, purring, moewing and recieving large amounts of cuddles due to his new extreme cuteness. If all it takes is a pill to make you that happy and that appealing to people, then sign me up.

I used to be cool, now I look like that idiot behind me

How I met Ann….

About five or six years ago I was a member of a rottweiler forum. A women who worked for the CKC mentioned that they would be holding a ‘Rottweiler Fun Day.’ It would be a CGN test (Canine Good Neighbour), TT (Temperament Test) and HIC with ducks (Herding Instinct Certificate). I was still with Ex at the time, and we decided to take a (then) young Frau up for some fun.

I had no idea where ‘Bobcaygeon’ was however, and so I emailed another woman who was involved. I asked her if she knew who was hosting it and how I could get in contact with them. She said it was at her  house, her name was Ann, and supplied directions on how to attend.

So Ex and I made the long trip up, it’s about six hours of driving from where I live. We found a large house hidden in the trees, parked, and were standing around awkwardly when a young and very confident looking woman came over and introduced herself as Ann. She told us that we’re very welcome and that most people there were family, but not to feel like outcasts because we weren’t. I liked her instantly, and that is a rare thing for me. But other than being a rottweiler breeder, I still had no idea who she was.

So the day went on, Frau passed two of her tests and we met a few people (who would years later come to be good friends). Ann chatted with us when she could, but she was a good hostess and made sure that everyone got their ‘Ann time’. I kept hearing about ‘Yngo’ and all these ‘Yngo’ puppies that were around, but once again had no idea who ‘Yngo’ was. I have to say that he is now one of my favourite rottie boys, and Savvy’s great-grandfather!

We went home and I didn’t contact her for a while. By the time I had we’d adopted an old rescue rottie from Ohio named Ada. I was in love with Ann’s website by that point and truly wanted a dog from her. So I emailed her to broach the subject and she invited me to join a forum she’d set up just for her puppy owners.  Not long after she invited me to a dogshow in Detroit to meet one of her dogs and spend some time getting to know each other.

And so it went. I would attend shows where I could spend a bit of time with her and the ‘dog set’. Eventually we became friends and I learned just what an amazing person, good friend and champion for the rottie breed she really is. Not to mention fantastic breeder and overall good person. If this seems a bit like ‘hero worship’ maybe it is. I’ve never aspired to be like anyone in my life, but if I did it would be like Ann.  I have a lot of respect for her. Ironically in a week we’re going to the same Detroit dogshow we met at years ago.  It should be good times.

So that’s how I met Ann. Hopeful someday I’ll be able to pay her back for the years of friendship and support she’s given to me and my dogs.

Baby Savvy and her favourite Auntie Ann

Why I love my job…

Today I had an older woman come in who had taken a photo out of her frame and since it hadn’t been matted parts of it had stuck to the glass and torn when she removed it. She was heartbroken. I felt terrible for her, so I scanned her photo, cropped it down to the man’s head and shoulders to lose most of the damage and then printed it as an 8×10. Then I put her damaged photo back in the original frame, lined it up as perfectly as I could with the parts still stuck to the glass and lightly taped it in place until I could get the back on it. It didn’t look too bad. I helped her pick out a frame for her new photo, put it all together with a nice matte around it and said ‘there he is’ while I set it on the counter. The woman started to cry. I was like OMG!!!! Turns out the photo was of her husband that passed away from cancer five years ago today.  She was upset that she’d damaged the original photo, but happy to have this new one to put beside it. Well geeze, I was trying so hard not to cry and we spent a few somber minutes talking about her husband’s passing, my dad’s passing, the sadness, the good times, etc. She was a really nice lady and I enjoyed talking to her. Left me in a bit of an emotional fog for a while, but I was pleased to have helped her. Just a little thing like printing and framing a photo turned her sad day into something a little bit better.

And that’s why I love my job.