Wonder Woman

Do I call myself this because I loaded ALL of the agility equipment into a tall stake bed truck by myself, or because I Wonder Why I Do These Things To Myself? Take your pick.

Our dog training club is doing an agility demonstration at the base Family Day this coming weekend and I volunteered my new equipment. I received permission to pick it up using a government truck since it is for an on base function. The people at work who might have usually helped me load up are all working at the Rec Area project. Kate thought she could come home at lunch and help me out, but she forgot. I called her but her cell phone wasn't getting reception. So what choice did I have? Really, the heaviest things are the teeter, dog walk and a frame. The jumps weigh nothing but the tunnels are a bit bulky and awkward. The a frame is the worst. I wish I knew how much it weighed. I once read a fiction mystery story where the plot involved an agility instructor being found dead under a collapsed a frame. That almost happened to me today. Each side is 9 feet long and three feet wide. 1.5 inch square steel tubing all the way around and in a t shape down the middle. Plywood top and wood slats. Just dragging it to the truck was a chore. I was able to get it into the truck using my favorite simple machine, the crane. I wish- it was actually the leaver principle. The same way I used to load 80 pound horse feed bags into my Geo Metro. Get one side in, then lift and push. Should I mention the gate was only three feet wide? That is the reason I almost got squished. I had to lift the a frame with it on it's side, instead of flat.

So, after this display of power to rival Wonder Woman, which part of my body is hurting? For starters, the elbow I strained last December and now acts up any time I use it. The other part is not my back, as you might expect. Nope- proving that I know how to lift correctly, it is my left knee (the "bad" one for those who keep track.) I lift with my knees, not my back, and my knee is letting me know about it. Ouch.

After the truck was all loaded up, I stopped at the welding shop that is conveniently between work and my house. I dropped off the a frame there to get new hooks welded on. While there, I almost wedged the stake bed into a place I couldn't get out of, like the golf cart in Austin Powers. Luckily, I was able to extract myself.

I will be sure to have help loading and unloading the truck after the demo.

In other news, the dishwasher repair man came a fixed a loose wire so the detergent dispenser should work now. He informed me he has a Jack Russell and a lazy corgi who nips his legs when he goes out the door.

And finally, if you see Pie trying to carry a large log, it is to get her neck muscles stronger so in Schutzhund she can carry the sleeve instead of dragging it and tripping over it and doing somersaults. Because it was funny the first 5 times, but now it is just embarrassing. The log is still heavy for her, but she gets treats when she carries it successfully, so she's trying.