No, Thank You.

The other girl at work was really pressuring me to sign the letter requesting early involuntary separation and therefore $. She says she spoke with someone at State who said by signing you were protecting yourself in case you got the boot. It wasn't saying you wanted the boot. Also, if you didn't sign and you got the boot, you got nothing.

But I read it again, using my critical reading skills from my English degree and if the person she spoke to was correct, then who ever wrote the letter did a very poor job of conveying those ideas. The part you signed said "By signing this I want the boot and I want the money." Ok, maybe I shouldn't have put it in quotes, but I'm not going to type out the whole thing. Trust me that it said, "Please fire me."

I did not sign and if I do get involuntarily separated and do not get the money, that will just be extra incentive to leave California in a huff. If I got the money, I might be tempted to stay and try to eek out a living and never be able to afford a house.

____

In other news, the Ventura County Wild Life ReHabilitator People (not their official name) called and told me a vet I could take the bird to in Thousand Oaks. The vet would fix it up and then they would come get it. When I dropped him off, the vet tech said his leg was broken, and they should be able to help him.

____

I was completely fed up with how dark my house is so I went to Target and bought three new floor lamps. Two are floor lamps with a reading light and one is three lights on a pole that can be positioned to face different ways. It is brighter, and can no longer be called dark, but I have discovered the best way to light a room is definitely from the top. Anything else leaves dark corners and gives an uneven distribution of light.

_____

The pet psychic said Blossom's previous owners may have lived in an assisted living type of place or maybe an Active Seniors home. She said they were an old couple and the man had lost the use of one side of his body. They were walking and he fell and Blossom ran off, just to be running, then he got lost. He doesn't know why his family never came to the shelter for him but he misses them very much. I wanted to know why he won't eat and apparently my food doesn't smell good. He is used to small pieces of meat cut up and maybe some mashed potatoes. His old lady used to take him to something that appeared to be Bingo Night. Blossom says he is afraid Pie will sit on him. I found that to be a likely occurrence, so I couldn't offer any assurance to that. Blossom says Pie jumps around and bites the air. If Blossom (and the pet psychic) are to be trusted, Blossom doesn't have anything physically hurting him, so therefore he is just bad not to eat my food that doesn't smell good. That last part was my interpretation.

For those who think I am foolish to pay a pet psychic, I say this in my defense: It was not very expensive and don't forget that St. Francis could talk to animals. I'm not saying this lady is a saint or even that I believe the things she told me, but there is a precedence out there.

PS- Blossom says he likes the way "Blossom" sounds - so there to those who say it is a bad name for a boy dog. Although he also says he forgets it is his name sometimes.

"Civil Engineering, This is Um... ah..."

This weekend at drill I was promoted to E-5, Staff Sergeant. The group commander and Command Chief Master Sergeant came (at the request of my supervisor) to "tack me on."

Now I just have to remember to answer the phone, "Sergeant Marla" instead of "Airman."

One of the best parts is the powers that be made the promotion retroactive, since before our little deployment, so I should be getting some back pay.

I am holding my Certificate of Induction into the Noncommissioned Officer ranks in this picture. From left to right- Mission Support Group Commander, Me, my First Sergeant, and the Wing Command Chief Master Sergeant, with our Chief Master Sergeant in the back ground.

The Certificate.

My certificate for finishing the Airman Leadership School via Correspondence.

This card was waiting for me after the promotion. It is from a Chief from another squadron. I don't know him, but apparently I have a reputation to uphold.
Afterwards, the entire wing turned out for a promotion party for me.

Actually, this was our wing celebration for working hard and doing well at the ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection.) Look, parents, I have a fruit AND a vegetable! After eating, I watched a horse shoes game (best of three) and a softball game.

Blossom Update

Blossom had about half of his teeth removed on Friday. Many of the removed teeth were already loose. The remaining teeth were cleaned very nicely and are now pretty! The upper and lower canines were not removed. These teeth look extra big, but I thought that was because I was used to Bloom's small, worn down teeth, and these full teeth just looked large by comparison. However, the vet said otherwise and said they are extra big because the gums have receded so far that a lot of the roots are showing. Someone called them sabre tooth teeth.

I have to administer pain medication and an anti-biotic and he will not take it in food or a pill-pocket and I have trouble opening his mouth because I can't come in through the side since his gums are so sore. So I bought a "pill popper" also called a medication dispenser. It is a long tube thingy that you put the pill in then put it in the animals mouth and push the plunger and the meds pop out. It is useful because you can put it way down their throats so they can't push the pill back out. Which is good since Blossom is now missing all his side teeth. Even though I held his mouth closed, he just pushed the pill out the gaps in the side. Little sinker. The pill popper has made it a little easier.

Since Blossom wasn't eating the vet is having me give him fluids at home. But I realized I was squeamish about pushing a needle all the way through his skin into the place between his skin and muscles. Plus, I can't hold him and poke him. Luckily Kate is helping me. She is doing the poking and I am doing the holding. He shouts just like Bloom. It really does sound like a shout more than anything. "Arrr, aaar, AARGH!" The fluids give him a big hunch back that quickly falls off to one side of his shoulders or the other. The fluids also make him have to go "tinkle" quite a bit. Apparently he couldn't make it all the way through the day and his crate got quite wet. The vet is having him get 200 cc's a day, so I suppose it is understandable he can't hold that much all day while I am at work. Maybe the diapers need to make a comeback. I have all these random hooks screwed in the beams in the ceiling, so I made use of one. Good thing the cord (if that is the proper term) is so long.

Blossom is eating better than before, but still not good enough. It seems he is not a morning dog and does not want to eat at all in the morning. I feed him as much as he'll eat when I come home from work, and again at night when I feed the other two. Since he gets fed more often, and also all kinds of different tasty wet food, I'm sure Pie and Fancy are sad they are left out of the feeding feasts. Especially since I hand feed him to encourage him to eat it really makes it seem as if I am feeding him treat after treat while they get nothing. Very sad.

I think his eating habits will continue to improve as his mouth gets less and less sore. At least I really hope so. He was frisky (for him) this afternoon. I tried to walk him around the block last night but it seemed to be too far. I'm not sure how he made it all the way to Janell's house and back last weekend.

He seems to like laying under the computer while I am typing, which has made Fancy mopey, because that is HER spot. The other day he joined her when she was already under there and she wasn't thrilled. Today he made it under there first, and now she is laying close the the desk, but not under it.

Various Unspecific Updates

Update 1- I was on call for jury duty last week- the same week as my dad but in a different county. I was in group 65 and on Friday they made it up to group 63, so I was not called and my service is complete for the next year.

Update 2- Regards the letter from last week. Not everybody at work got one. So that was cause for concern. Then we (the other person who got the same letter and I) realized the people who did not get the letter are not applicable to the contents of the letter. Basically, the letter said the state may get rid of some State Active Duty positions, and if that happens and you are involuntarily separated, AND if you have more than 6 years service in SAD, you are eligible for some involuntary separation pay. The people who did not get the letter do not have more than 6 years. Therefore, everyone who the letter pertained to did receive the letter, so I am not worrying about it (too much. Even though the State did just request our payroll documents to see how much they are spending on us.) My boss said he will fight very hard to make sure none of our positions get eliminated and I appreciate that very much. But I'm not sure that he has too much say in the matter.

Update 3- Blossom update. See the following post.

Update 4- Fancy had another foxtail. This one was in her ear. After a walk she kept shaking her head. I looked and looked but couldn't see anything. I flushed her ears out. But she still shook her head randomly. A few days later Blossom was going to go to the vet's for his first appointment, so I took her too. By this time she had given up the head shaking but as discussed earlier, I know how evil foxtails are, and I wasn't taking any chances. The vet used her ear scope and spotted what was either hairs or the end of a foxtail and it turned out to be a foxtail. As I learned from James Herriot books, it is much better to call the vet early and spend a little money on an easy fix, rather than waiting until it gets so bad that you have to pay the vet lots of money, and the animal may end up dying anyway. Thank you Mr. Herriot. Fancy thanks you also.

Nevermore?

Actually, I decided Kate is right and it is a crow, so the obvious reference is now just making me appear foolish.

This bird was flopping around in the parking lot when I went into church, and he was still there when I came out. His wing and leg on the same side seem to be injured. I waited for the other cars to leave, then I nabbed him, using my BDU top. While I was stalking him, some other crows (these might have been actual ravens) showed up and began to caw loudly at me and one or two even dive bombed me. I beat a graceful retreat to decide if 1) If getting my eye poked out was worth it and 2) With friends like these, did he even need my help?

I came to the conclusion that if a raccoon happened upon him, his friends wouldn't be help enough, and while a poked out eye was too high of a price to pay for helping injured wildlife, I didn't actually believe that would happen. And it didn't.

I followed him around for a while trying to get a good throw of the BDU top. I took aim and let fly and missed completely, and not even because he moved. Nope. Apparently he had given up and was just laying there. So I retrieved my top from right next to him and placed it over him and picked him up and put him in a dog crate in my car. I called the local wildlife rehabilitateor people and are waiting for them to call me back so I can hand him over. He is hanging out in the car in the crate while we wait.

I hope they call soon and that they can and will help him.

Raise Your Hand...

...if you have ever gotten GOOD news through a certified letter. Anyone? Is your hand up, or are you just scratching your nose?

When I saw I had to go pick up a certified letter at the post office I knew it wasn't good. The day was already not the best because I had just picked up Bloomie's ashes (they put him in a can) and offered Blossom all kinds of tasty delectable and he only ate two bites. So I was sure a certified letter was bad news. Especially since my amazing powers of observation and reasoning makes it appear I am clairvoyant.

I knew it was going to be from the State (who I work for, just in case you are not a friend or family member and stumbled upon this blog.) Do you remember the scene in The Fifth Element where Corban (Bruce Willis) is buying food or something from the Chinese guy in the flying junk (is that actually how it is spelled?) and the Chinese guy says "You have a letter." and I think they have a discussion about it being bad or good news and the Chinese guy ends up opening it and reading out loud in a really happy voice, "You are fired!" Do you remember that scene? It kept playing over and over in my head as I drove to the post office. I received the letter and saw it was addressed to SrA instead of Ms. so I knew my suspicions were correct. I'm not fired, but it was the letter that was being passed around at work (as I suspected) telling us some State employees will be involuntarily separated due to the budget crisis. I was told not to worry unless I got the letter. So should I be worried now? I'll wait until tomorrow. If I'm the only person in my department to get the letter, THEN I'll be worried. Until then, I have to spend my time worrying about Blossom not eating, and about Canned Bloom.

I Drew Him With a Smile

Welcome, Blossom

The very sad news is Bloomie passed away on the Friday before Memorial Day. I am not ready to write about him yet. It goes without saying that I miss him. Not only do I miss him personally, I also just miss having an old dog. Bloom was very difficult in many ways recently due to his old age, but there is just something so special about a sweet, old dog.

It had only been a few days that he was gone, but I was already feeling the pull, looking at shelter websites. Previously, I had been considering buying a puppy bred for competitions, but after Bloom was gone, all I wanted was an old dog. I was on a website that lists all the government run shelters in this area. I think there are around 117 of them. Too many dogs to count. On this website you can search dogs by breed, but you are at the mercy of someone else to correctly identify your breed. So it is a good idea to search breeds similar to the one you want. For example, I found Pie (a Belgian Malinois) under German Shepherd.

I wasn't sure I was going to adopt a dog, but I had vague notions of perhaps fostering one for my friend who runs a rescue. She specializes in dogs with medical needs (when they are done with the dogs, they no longer have medical needs, they are adopted out as healthy), but an older dog might also be acceptable, since they too are hard to find homes for.

So without a clear purpose, but motivated by missing my Bloom I searched the website. Something, and I have no idea what, caused me to search under standard poodle. I know I didn't want to foster or adopt a standard poodle because they can be HUGE! Taller than Pie. But I looked there anyway and this is what I saw.

If you did not know Bloom, the resemblance is striking. Bloom was also listed as a 10 year old when I adopted him. As soon as I saw the picture and the dog's age, I knew this was MY dog. Not to foster, but to keep. I knew I would name him Blossom.

This was last Wednesday and I was at work. I called the shelter, but I only got ringing. I hung up and called back later. Again, only ringing. Same thing later. This time I waited the ringing out until the system hung up on me. I repeated this two more times. I wanted to call the shelter for more information because they can usually tell you over the phone if the dog is aggressive, and any more information they have on the dog. Since this was the North Central Los Angeles shelter, I wanted to be sure the dog was as nice as I thought he was before I drove down there. Finally, at about one o'clock I got through to a person.

This person was a clerk, and had never interacted with the dog, but she said he was a stray but he had a microchip and his family had not come for him. She told me he was 15 pounds, confirming that he was not a standard poodle. I asked if there was any other information available and she said there was a note... approved for euthanasia, as of the day before. She then transferred me to someone else.

This person was a kennel worker and told me he was a very nice dog and that she liked him a lot, but he had been there for a month and as of yesterday, could be killed at any time. Apparently this literally meant any second because when I asked what time they did the euthanasia, she told me, "It depends how busy they are back there." I told her I was coming for him but it would take me about two hours, and was there anything she could do to make sure he wasn't killed while I was driving? She said there was nothing she could do.

As soon as I got off the phone, I was informed a letter my boss was waiting for was ready for pick up and I had to go to another building and get it and scan it and email it to his personal email address. Of course the scanner is horribly slow! Then I made my escape from work, but I had to buy gas since I would not have made it the 60 miles to the shelter, and there are no gas stations on the way to the freeway. Therefore I had to go out of the way, adding to the time it would take to get there. Finally I was on my way. Would I get there in time? Would I have to push my way to the front of the line?

I arrived at the shelter and ran inside, only to find no one there wanting to adopt animals. Very sad. But that meant I was first in line. I presented my print out of Blossom to the clerk and said, "I want this dog." They brought him out for my inspection and after I confirmed I wanted him, I filled out the paperwork and he was mine! The clerk confirmed he was approved for euthanasia the day before. She was very happy for him, even more so when she saw that he was 10 years old.

He was much smaller than I expected, and very skinny. He does look a lot like Bloom, and like Bloom, is very sweet. He lays on the couch next to me just like Bloom would before he no longer wanted to. (Fancy won't lay next to me, preferring to curl up in a little ball a foot or so away from me.) Blossom walks nicely on the leash, is quiet in the crate, rides well in the car, appears to be housebroken (all my other dogs from the shelter had to be trained!) gets along (ignores) the other dogs, and likes me enough to seek me out in the house and hang out with me. He isn't trained in formal things it appears, and does not play with toys, and at this time is not particularity food motivated, although the hot dogs did receive approval.

We just had his vet exam and the vet declared his teeth the worst she has ever seen. They are extremely nasty, and his breath is so bad you can smell it in the car. At least one tooth is loose. Most likely he will be having surgery to remove the teeth. I don't know if it will be most or all of them, or just the worst ones.

Since I've had him, Blossom has been eating less and less each meal, which is unsatisfactory since I want/ need to fatten him up. I'm even feeding him CANNED dog food. No dog of mine has ever had it so good. But last night and this morning, he didn't eat anything, even after I put chicken broth on it. Is he sick? Is he picky? The vet took blood and urine but at this time had no answers. However, when she offered him Hills Science Diet for Dogs and Cats Who Will Be in Serious Trouble If They Refuse THIS Food, he scarfed it down. OK- that wasn't the exact name of the food, but it is for animals who are convalescing and won't eat anything else. Would it gross you out too much if I tell you I sniffed the food and it actually smelled appealing to me? No, I did not eat it, that would have been gross, but I think it smelled like one of the MREs I've eaten. So I bought 14 of the cans to start with and even though it says you should not feed this food continuously, the vet said we just need to get him to eat for now, and we'll worry about what he is eating later. I hope he continues to eat this food, because I was about to go buy some ground beef, and that would have been a big step since I've never even purchased any for myself.

In conclusion (didn't any of my English teachers tell me not to write 'in conclusion?') I am very happy I happened upon Blossom. I can't have my Bloom back, but until we meet again, Blossom can attempt to fill his shoes. We both benefit from the relationship. Now, all he has to do it eat his food like a good boy, and I can stop worrying about another old dog passing away. That would be very bad.

Hanging out with Craig. He (Blossom) has since been to the groomer and his fur is a little less curly, but not much. As you can see, he is much more grey than he looked in the shelter picture.

____________________________________________________________________

On a different dog note, Pie just wandered out of the room and seconds later I heard whining and scratching sounds, and I had to go rescue her from the dog-swallowing bathroom.

Did That Guy Just...

steal a bicycle? Since I've been on the injured list I haven't been running at lunch like I usually do. One day I was bad and drove to Wendy's for lunch. I used the drive thru then parked in an out of the way spot to eat in my car and read my book.

Just as I was pulling into my spot, I saw a guy walking along, carrying a skateboard. He was middle aged, if that has any relevance to the story. Just as I spotted him, he spotted a bicycle. This bicycle was leaning up against a wooden back yard fence, next to two trashcans. I would describe it as an alley between the parking lot and the back yard.

I was fairly certain it wasn't his bike because when he spotted it, his body language was very similar to Craig's when he was playing the robber in my production of "Hero Dogs" and he saw the cash on the way. Then he (back to my story, and no longer talking about Craig) strolled over to the bike and glanced around. In his casual glancing he spotted (enough spots in this story for 101 Dalmatians) me watching him. His response was to coolly stroll away.

But then he came back, eyeballed the bike again, got on while holding his skateboard and rode away. So, the question is, did he steal the bike, and if so, should I have done anything about it?

No one deserves to have things stolen from them. I've had my purse, my car radio and my entire CD collection stolen, as well as money in the form of a hit and run when I became responsible for the insurance detectable. I know the feeling of anger and the feelings of injustice and "why should someone take something that belongs to me?" So if this guy was steeling the bike, it was not cool. BUT, leaving your bicycle unsecured in an alley in Oxnard is not very smart. And leaving it next to trashcans is even less intelligent, because it gives the impression that you no longer want it and are throwing it away. For all I know, the previous owner WAS throwing it away.

Therefore, the first doubt was, "Is the bike up for grabs since it was out in the trash, or had its owner just parked it there for some reason?"

The second doubt is, "How do I know this guy isn't the owner?" Obviously I did not think he was, but if I had said, "Hey- is that your bike?" he would have said "yes" and then what? And even if he had said "No, I'm liberating it from its abusive owner" then what would my options have been?

Maybe I should have just called 911. "Yes, hello 911? I'd like to report a possible theft in progress. Of a bicycle parked next to some trash cans in an alley. In Oxnard. The guy riding away on the bike might not be the legal owner." If the police thought my concerns were valid, the suspect would have been long gone, pedaled away into oblivion by the time they arrived.

And my final concern was if I did say anything to the suspicious individual, or even appear to be watching him too closely, he might decide to abandon the bicycle AND skateboard (I wonder if that was stolen too?) and trade up for a 2006 Buick Rendenvous. I know there is a poignant quote about the only thing evil needing to flourish is good men (ie- people) doing nothing... but I am sorry to say I did not feel safe confronting him, and while stopping evil is not about keeping yourself safe, I guess I decided the possible theft of a (possible?) bicycle wasn't worth a possible confrontation leading to possible violence. Plus, no matter the outcome of the confortation, it might have made me late getting back from lunch.

I'm not sure that was the best decision, but getting back to my original concerns, I don't even know for sure he was stealing the bicycle.

Ouch

You know how you are just jogging along, thinking you'll probably go 3 and a quarter miles for the second time this week, and you'll hold off going 3 and a half miles until next week, and you don't want to think too much about how far you'll go because so far you've only done just over a mile, and you're actually feeling pretty good (must be those mythical endorphins) and all of the sudden just as your entire weight comes down supported by one leg, your knee cap pops out of place and zooms around and suddenly you don't have a leg to stand on (so to speak) and since you temporarily no longer have a knee cap, your leg collapses and you hit the ground hard because you were caught completely by surprise and the pain is so great you might throw up and the only thing you are thinking besides "ARG!" is "Seriously? Because that was my GOOD knee." and the horrible twisting sensation totally grosses you out and also the popping sound was nasty and as you writhe in pain you wonder if the security cameras are picking this up? No? What, that has never happened to you before? Ah well, that's ok, it's happened to me enough for all of us.

Then, after this happens, depending on the severity of the injury, I hobble around for the next few days. I think the longest was approaching two weeks. I think there is something extra wrong with limping along at work when you work for the military. Like maybe just limping so noticeably is putting your entire career in jeopardy.

I did agility this weekend, but I couldn't run. At least by the time the weekend rolled around I could walk. Pie and Fancy both know "go" and "out" so I was able to hobble along in their wake and tell them what to take while steering from behind. Kind of like the second fireman on the huge fire truck who steers the back half of the truck. I'm hoping by next weekend (Memorial Day) I'm back to 100% since I have four (yes, four) days of agility in a row. Right now walking I'm at maybe 75% but only 45% running. I can't bend the knee more than 90 degrees. I prop the leg up using my other leg while sleeping. Except last night I used a dog toy to keep the knee bent. I knew there was a reason I keep the dogs around.

Besides the fact that I'm injured and I hope it doesn't decrease my stamina by the time I'm able to run again, this really messed up my plans for next week. I was given a special four day pass for doing well during the inspection, and I was planning all kinds of fun activities. Such as hiking. I suppose now I will have to change my plans. Maybe I'll see a movie instead. I'd rather be hiking.

Some dogs have luxating patellas. However, it never seems to bother them nearly as much. I suspect that is because when one knee goes bad they have three others to choose from. Lucky dogs.

Our Trip to PA

I traveled to PA for my Grandfather's Memorial Service. You can read about my journey out there here: http://citizengrouch.blogspot.com/2009/05/dads-memorial-service-part-1-journey.html

The memorial service was a tribute to Grandpap's life. His family was there, as well as some of his old neighbors. We gathered in the chapel as his children said the ways their dad influenced their lives and what he meant to them. The priest, a relative of Grandpap's, said prayers. Then we went to the grave site and others got a chance to say their feelings. Everyone was very sad.

Afterwards we went to the restaurant Grandpap frequently took visiting relatives to and we enjoyed each other's company. Then we went to Uncle Ed's house for some reminiscing and family time. We even watched some old home videos, which I enjoyed. Laura got to play with her little cousins, which she enjoyed.

The Whole Gang- thanks to Uncle Ed's TriPod

I haven't seen that side of the family in a few years, so it was very nice to catch up with everyone. Of course, I wish it could have been under happier circumstances... Thank you to Uncle Ed and the rest of the family who organized the service and the family time. I think it was all very nice and fitting.

The next day Dad, Claire, Laura, Pete and Aunt Anne and I all went to Pittsburgh. First we stopped at "The Bluffs," which is the best scenic overlook I've ever been to. Then we went downtown to the Soldier's and Sailor's Museum where we looked at historic artifacts and found Dad's great-great uncle, who volunteered for the Civil War. Well, the Uncle wasn't there, but his name was. After that we went to the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. I've never been before. I was quite impressed. We went up to the top, then came back down and toured the free Nationality Rooms. Turns out they actually have classes in there. Very interesting.

Laura Running at The Overlook.

The day after that we flew home. The trip home was much better. We got good seats on the plane, didn't have to pay to check our luggage due to being military, and out gates were close and not at opposite ends of the airport. Our luggage even came out first. Nice.

Laura Guards Granddad's Bag.

Overall it was a very good, if short, trip.

All of the photos can be seen here. None have been cropped so if you want to do that, feel free. http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/fancygirlud/PA%20May%202009/ Be sure to view all 10 pages!


Living on opposite sides of the county from each other, Grandpap and I didn't spend very much time together. But he did come on several vacations with us, and he did come to visit us in CA occasionally, and when I took a Hop to Pittsburgh a few years back, I got to visit him then. We corresponded the old fashioned way- by letters. I know G/P liked my little drawings, because he always told me he did. Other than saying that, I think I will keep the rest of my feeling private.

PS- Thanks to Aunt Monica and Uncle Brian for allowing me to stay in their house, and especially to Deborah for giving up her bed to me! That was very kind of you.

PSS-The pictures I posted got a little distorted when I resized them, so if they look funny, that is why.

Pie Holds Her Ground

Pie does not like the lawn mower in the same way I do not like the lawn mower. It is obnoxiously loud and she and I would both rather be somewhere else. We are not afraid of it, we just don't care for it.


I have a gardener because I rent and it is included in the rent. I had the front door open with the screen closed. I came out of another room which I had been in a while to find Pie standing guard at the front door. As the gardener pushed the obnoxious machine closer then pulled it back then pushed it closer, Pie held her ground, to make sure the strange man and noisy contraption did not gain unauthorized entry into our home. She didn't threaten him or act tough, she just stood her ground. But it was not normal, happy, waggy Pie. Her posture was stiff, her ears were back, and the most notable for Pie, her tail was hanging straight down, not moving a bit, with out her natural gentle curve. She was obviously most unhappy.


When I made my presence known to her, she gave up her post and came towards me wagging, as if she felt since I was around I could be in charge of repelling the possible intruder. I think her behavior in this situation is extremely appropriate. She didn't like it, but she did her job, and did it well.


Now, if the gardener had attempted to break in and use the running lawnmower as a shield, I'm not sure what Pie's response to that would have been. But I am sure no one has ever tried to break into a home using a running lawn mover. At least not around here.

Car Wash

I washed my car today. Some might not think that is blog worthy, but those people must not know me that well. I had to scrub pretty hard to get all the splattered bugs off from my Sacramento trip. Maybe next time I'll give the Pam a try.

Pie and Fancy kept me company laying about in the front yard.

I have yet to find out if the washing was a success. If I don't get better gas mileage like Dad says, I'll never wash it again.

Hello?

Imagine an echo that doesn't actually come back. What would that sound like? Probably like the comments I receive on this blog. So if you are one of the people who get all antsy when I don't write anything... how do I know you are actually reading anything?



Hello....hello...hello...hello...?

Lost Dogs

Some people might be surprised to know I have a history of loosing my dogs. But only for short periods of times...

Sheba got lost once or twice. Once when she ran away while off leash. She came back at two in the morning covered in burrs, barking to get let into the yard. Another time she ran out of the front yard, but we chased her down that time. The Duster really came through for us.

Bloom got lost one of the first days in my new apartment. One of the guys I work with was helping me out by bringing my new 'fridge from Lowes in his pickup and I went to meet him outside. Who should I see sniffing a tree but Bloomie. Apparently he could squeeze between the bars on the fence. I put up chicken wire the next day.

Fancy cruised the neighborhood a few times. She was turned into the shelter for escaping. No surprise she could easily jump out of my patio with its four foot brick wall. She was only out there to go potty, but once at night I put her out and fell asleep. I woke up to only one dog in the "yard." I ran around at one am looking for her and found her at the end of the street. The close end. She jumped out of the yard only a few times and never went far, and then became very bonded and had no desire to leave. Unless we are at my parent's house and Mom and Molly go on a walk without her. Then she scales the brick wall taller than I am, or squeezes through the bars that are about 6 inches apart and catches up. You can see a video of that here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dO_xF6zV34 It is the first half.

Which brings me to the real point about Lost Dogs. My dogs get lost in my own home.

Bloom got stuck under the bed once and because he is deaf, couldn't hear me calling. I'm lucky I ever found him. Another time he followed me into the shed, but didn't follow me back out, and I closed him in there.

Fancy ALWAYS follows me into the bathroom, but when I leave, sometimes she is asleep. The door swings closed behind me and now Fancy is stuck in the bathroom.

Bosco actually fit into this pattern quite well because he would nose his way into the bathroom, the door would swing shut behind him, and then he would be stuck in there. I'd call for him, but he wasn't a very noisy dog, so he would quietly wait for me to figure it out and come rescue him.

When this happens to Pie, I usually hear her banging around. In fact, Pie has never been lost. She has no desire to run like Sheba. She isn't an escape artist like Fancy, and she is way too big to follow me somewhere and not be noticed like Bloom.

Unless someone steals her, you will never see Pie on a Lost Dog poster. And if someone did steal her, they would probably name her Red Chief, and I'd get her back right quick.