Pia on Sheep - 8 months

I gave Pia a whirl on sheep over the weekend at Robin's. She was feeling a tad bit sensitive, but after the sheepsplosion naughty dog rodeo at Thanksgiving she needed to feel a little more sensitive. I like her responsiveness, and figure that in another month or two she'll settle into a place that will be just right for me. I think she and I will do just fine together. She's still not ready for much training pressure, but she is getting there. She is trying very hard to figure out what I want.

I really would prefer to just post vids where my dogs and I all look like rockstars, but I've promised myself to be real and post the good, the bad, and even the fat hiney-ed.

Saturday:



Sunday:



I'll give her a while before I work her again as I find the explode the sheep but be mushy to corrections phase difficult to manage. I've made mistakes in the past by trying to power through these phases, when waiting it out would have made sense. Maturity heals a lot of things.

Videos by Robin French.

Need Dog Food?

I was asked by the folks over at Mr. Chewy to go do a review of their site. I gave it a whirl (though please note that all opinions are 100% mine).

Mr. Chewy has over 70 brands of the good stuff to choose from, and free shipping over $49! That's a pretty big deal. They had absolutely everything I needed, and I found the prices to be comparable and in some instances quite a bit cheaper than the store I've been buying from. They carry Orijen, TOTW, Diamond Naturals, Acana... a very wide range of products. The website, in my opinion, looks nice and navigates well.

I ordered on Tuesday, and had my food by Thursday.



I was very impressed with their customer service - and I even tried out the chat with a rep feature. The person who helped me was nice and helpful, and I got my answers quickly.

I wound up saving something like $5.00 on this order over my regular place. My work-horse food (the one the most of my dogs eat) was a slight bit more expensive, but the others were so much cheaper that it was worth it. Not only that, but I'll admit that I loved the fact that I didn't have to drive to the store.

I was impressed.

If you're interested in giving it a whirl go to www.mrchewy.com and feel free to use my referral code, LKWI4566, to get 10% off of your order!

It is FRIDAY! Confess!

It's time for a Friday Confessional hosted by Mamarazzi! I haven't done one of these in a while. It is time.

I Confess...

I did something really freaky and posted a post with a weird title and the Friday Confessional button and nothing else. I had a technofreak moment.

I Confess...

As I was walking through the door to the Thai place today to pick up my boss's lunch the wind kicked up. The wind actually blew my shirt up... enough so that I'm pretty sure I flashed everyone in the restaurant.

I Confess...

That I was equal parts horrified and tickled over the whole thing. I figure anyone looking deserved to see whatever it was they saw. Or not.

I Confess...

That I wish many bloggers would get more involved and engage with others via comments and such. That being said, I've been really thrilled to see a real sense of community developing with some of the dog-bloggers that have been linking to my Tell Me Thursday hop.

I Confess...

That on days when I host TMT I often wonder if people actually read my post. When people only comment to say "I did it!" I'm left to wonder if they're hearing me? I also know that a lot of people join in but don't link up and don't link back - and I wonder if they even know that someone has gone to the trouble of hosting it? In the big grande scheme of things it is a small thing, but I've heard other hosts mention this and now I understand.

I Confess...

That I feel guilty even saying anything about that. The people pleaser in me prefers to avoid confrontation, and doesn't ever want to make anyone else feel bad (nor do I want to run people off or discourage them from posting) but on the other hand I feel a spark of frustration that maybe will go away if I confess.

I Confess...

That this week I've been getting Zippy to put out his... er... you know... so that I could put some ABX ointment on it. It seems to be helping his situation, though it still isn't sitting exactly where it should. The oral ABX are helping too. I'm pretty sure that I might have missed my calling as a dog stimulation expert. I gotz skillz.

I Confess...

I've had preggers dreams again this week (and I'm not preggers - it would be immaculate conception if I were, lol). Weird. At least it wasn't those dreams where I'm putting my kids in dog crates and leaving for work.

That's probably enough for today. Happy Friday everyone!

Oh wait. Two more:

I Confess...

I've eaten three quart sized bags of pineapple this week. A friend at work, Sara, had a bunch of pineapple left over from a baby shower. It is some kind of good. Though I don't think three quarts is exactly going to make me the poster child for moderation.

and finally...

I got to work one day this week and realized that I had only buttoned my shirt down to the third button. Today I got here and realized I'd forgotten to zip my pants. I haz problems.

Tell Me Thursday 2012 - #4

This week we're going with a theme week sort of deal. Most of these questions were posed by Kelly over at Timber View Farm (though I took some small editorial license, and added a question). I'll admit that these questions are making me dig - and I'll probably have to come back and add some later.

As always, please remember to come back here and add your name and a link sending us back to your specific post so that we can find it easily!

1. How do you search for and then choose a trainer?
2. The dog world is small and... uh... talkative. After choosing a trainer how do you handle those people in your life who don't believe in that trainer/trainers methods and criticize them to you?
3. Do you believe that a person's personal life should influence your choice of a trainer? (i.e do you believe a person's choice to be a party animal outside of work would affect your choice?)
4. When you have a break through moment with your dog, do you feel that moment makes your connection stronger with that dog and makes the next step in training easier?
5. Do you stick with just one trainer, or do you go to multiple sources for help?

For answering these questions I'm going to assume my world is better than it is at the moment and that I'm able to get my dogs out and train on them.

1. How do you search for and then choose a trainer?

I've always gone on word of mouth. I've always gone to check out trainers that friends have recommended. That being said, I make decisions based on several things, and one of those things is communication. I need to be able to understand what they're telling me. One of the things that I've always really liked about my main trainer squeeze is her ability to find different ways of communicating with me when I'm not "getting it". She also understands that sometimes I don't "get it" right away, but usually after I go work on it some it comes to me. I like that she tells me what she's doing, and shows ME how to do it too.

I also look for someone who can put their money where their mouth is. I think it's important that a trainer be successful (and I don't mean in the novice classes - I mean in the highest classes of whatever you're doing). They need to know what it is that they don't know, because as a novice person YOU don't really know.

I also have to like this person and feel like they treat me and my dog fairly. I have been in training situations that were Not. Good. At this point in my life I do these things because I like them, and I don't have the time or patience for me or my dog to be abused. I'll walk if that happens. Luckily for me in the dog world I've chosen well so far.

2. The dog world is small and... uh... talkative. After choosing a trainer how do you handle those people in your life who don't believe in that trainer/trainers methods and criticize them to you?

I smile, and nod, and then go on about whatever I was going to do anyway. I'm not big on confrontation. If they want to slam the methods I'm OK with that. But if they start slamming my trainer personally we're going to start having problems.

3. Do you believe that a person's personal life should influence your choice of a trainer? (i.e do you believe a person's choice to be a party animal outside of work would affect your choice?)

I guess for me it would depend on just how far I feel they're going morally compared to my comfort zone. I think sometimes it DOES, whether we want to admit it or not. I also think there's a real sliding scale on this. If I wasn't already friends with this person I might choose to steer clear if there were other comparable options. I'd say that what they do in their "other" life might lend some weight to my decision, but it would depend on what it is.

For example: if this trainer had a habit of bashing people behind their backs, and they weren't the only game in town I'd steer clear. I might would even choose to go to someone less skilled simply because I couldn't trust that person. But lets say this trainer was nice to me and nice to other people but liked to party sometimes... I'd overlook the partying thing.

Mostly I tend to weigh more heavily on the side of "What is their relationship with me and my dogs?"

4. When you have a break through moment with your dog, do you feel that moment makes your connection stronger with that dog and makes the next step in training easier?

It usually does. I find that a lot of times these breakthrough moments are followed by some sponge moments where the dog starts to just suck up everything you throw at it. I love lightbulb moments!

5. Do you stick with just one trainer, or do you go to multiple sources for help?

I like to have different takes on my dogs and what the trainers are seeing, so I try to go to more than just one person. I usually have a main trainer, and then might go to a clinician when I can, and then other times pump my friends. They love that.

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A Little Something About Pia

Ever since Bree moved out with my ex-husband I've been waiting for a dog with this particular knack - one that Bree had that nobody since has had - until Pia. Bree was a naughty little dog in many respects, and hard headed as the day was long. However, the one thing that Bree would do for me that none of the other dogs would do is retrieve random items from tight spaces based on my verbal shaping.

Pia seems to have this knack. It makes me SO happy.

Pia knows what "get your toy" means. But sometimes I drop things that I cannot reach, and sometimes things get crammed in the back of crates (and I cannot reach them without getting down on the floor). Having a dog around that will get these things is a VERY good thing. Not to mention they don't get enough work these days, so anything else I can give them makes them happy.

I've noticed that I can tell her "get your toy" and if she's going to the wrong one I can say "no" and then when she shifts I can say "yes" and follow that "yes" with a "good girl" and get her to get the toy I'm thinking of. June will do this to a smaller degree but the other dogs (Nick, Linc, and Ginger) all look at me like I'm crazy. But Pia? She's a little rockstar. The fact that she likes to put things in her mouth that do not belong to her seems to help with directing her. The other dogs just plain flat out won't pick up things that don't belong to them.

The other day Pia had wrestled her food bowl up on one end and had plastered it to the back of her crate. I let her out and sighed... knowing I was going to have to get on my hands and knees and go get it. Then on a whim I called her over there. I told her, "Get your bowl". She hopped in and out of her crate. So she understood that I wanted something from her crate, but not what. So she hopped in, and as she was facing her bowl I said, "YES! Good girl." From that point I verbally shaped it until I got her to pick up her bowl and bring it out to me.

Same thing with my slippers last night.

Nevermind the fact that I had to have her retrieve them because she'd run off with them in the first place.



Hey, we're not perfect. Just enthusiastic.

Pia is one of these dogs that wants to DO something for me. I like that. I shape behaviors in the other dogs with food sometimes (in a home setting), but I like that she can listen to my voice and respond without food. She seems to want to make me happy, and that makes me happy. Hopefully I can get her back on sheep before too long and see if she's grown up a little. I sure am looking forward to it!

Tell Me Thursday 2012 - #3

Time for Tell Me Thursday, hosted by yours truly!

Questions for this week:

1. What is one lesson you've learned this week?
2. Who or what might you have been in another life? What might you be in a next life?
3. What unusual things do you like the smell of but don't usually admit?
4. What are your thoughts on continuing on vs. retiring when a trial run is going badly? How do you decide? Where do you draw the line?
5. This is a call for questions or subjects you'd like to talk about - I'd appreciate suggestions (and please come link up so that I'll be sure to see your post), so here's your chance!

As always, don't forget to post a link to my blog, and the button in your post... and then come back and link up!

Here are my answers. I know you've been waiting for it, right? All week? What I've told you lately about blind dates and dogs with pecker problems. Hah.

1. What is one lesson you've learned this week?

Here is my lesson for the day boys and girls. If you have an old boy dog that assumes the position to pee...

Wait for it...

DO NOT PICK HIM UP.

Picking up a peeing old boy dog in mind-stream results in a far bigger mess than if you'd just have let him make his little piddle puddle. Picking him up results in a shower of tiny dog pee pee that goes everywhere. Now instead of soaking up a puddle you must run around and blog up droplets of piddle all over the place.

Trust me... just let him make his puddle.

2. Who or what might you have been in another life? What might you be in a next life?

I mean for this to be a question to have fun and creative with (though I am a creationist). Anyway, I'm pretty sure I was Jerry Seinfeld in another life. He's one funny guy and I so totally identify with his brand of humor. I might have also been a lioness. Rawr. I loves me some big scary female cats. Sometimes I think I might have been born in the wrong era... or maybe I was a homesteader in another life.

For my next life, if this past week has been any indication, I'm in terrible danger of coming back as a Krispy Kreme donut. Or maybe an Oscar Mayer wiener truck. You know, cuz if I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener... everyone would be in love with me.



3. What unusual things do you like the smell of but don't usually admit?

I love to sniff peanut butter jars (inside, obviously). I like the smell of sharpies. Oh, and that paste they give you in kindergarten. I also love the smell of cigarettes the moment they're first lit (and no, I don't smoke and never have). I also love the smell of beer, even though I don't drink it. Yes, I'm strange sometimes.

4. What are your thoughts on continuing on vs. retiring when a trial run is going badly? How do you decide? Where do you draw the line?

This is a real tough one for me. I tend to retire too soon sometimes with my young dogs because I don't want them out there floundering for help and losing confidence (or worse making huge messes and damaging someone else's sheep or property). But sometimes I feel like I should have stuck it out longer. Then again sometimes I sit at a trial watching a run and I mutter, "leave the post leave the post OMG WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE THE POST AND HELP YOUR DOG."

I think this changes some with the Open runs - I've stayed at the post even when things weren't going the best (though certainly not total disasters), thinking that when most of the runs are sucking maybe mine will be of the lesser suckies.

It's a tough call to make. I'm not sure I'm very good at making the call yet. It is so hard to know the answer when you're the one running the dog. I hope that time and experience will help me to be better at this.

I tend to err on the side of retiring too soon, and going to help my dog.

I don't have to answer #5 cuz... uh... I'm asking all of YOU to give me some ideas. It can be any questions or any subjects you want or like to talk about.

So here's the code and linky widget:

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The Blind Date Story

Back in 2011 I had this blind date. I blogged BEFORE the date but not after. I avoided the after just on the off chance that he might stumble across my blog. Well, it's been a year so I figure statute of limitations are up. So this one is for Julie's sister, Renee.

I went on a blind date with this guy that I'd met off of match.com. After a month or two of emailing and phone calls I met him at a restaurant for dinner, for our first date. I was looking smoking hot, and prepared for sparks to fly. Or something.

On his profile he said he was 5'9". Now, I'm 5'8" flat footed, and I'm rarely flat-footed unless I'm barefoot. Most of the time I'm wearing about 2" heels, and clocking in closer to 5'10". That night was no exception. But hey, if he was 5'9" I figured I'd probably be more or less looking him straight in the eye.

He was 5'6" if he was an inch. Not only was I taller but I was practically TOWERING over him.

In all honesty he was rocking some pudge (and far be it from me to be too critical on THAT note) and he wasn't exactly rocking a full head of hair. I was going to overlook the fat and bald thing (hey, I mean, I'm rocking some fat myself at the moment). But I was really struggling past the towering over him thing.

I felt a little bit like "Lurch Goes Out to Eat".

It wasn't too bad, though, until we got up to walk out together. He definitely got some gentlemanly points for walking me out to my car (and for paying for dinner). I thought to myself that if he hugged me... oh I don't think so. Sure enough, the awkward hug moment came, and I shifted around and gave him one of those side shoulder hug/pat dealies. No way was I letting him plant his face... uh... there.

But then it somehow managed to go south from there. As we stood briefly talking he looked into my car and saw the crates. He started crying. In case you missed it, he cried. On a date. On the FIRST date. With ME.

He blubbered something about animals shouldn't be caged. He was totally down with the idea of six dogs, but the idea of them being in cages had him undone.

I'd hate to think how he'd feel about taking sheep to slaughter.

Needless to say that was the one and only date with him. He kept saying how we should do it again. Uh... no. I could overlook a lot, but the crying over the crate thing was bad. I like men to show emotion, up to a point. However, I expect a guy to get his Tarzan on early in a relationship.

Tell Me Thursday 2012 - #2

For whatever reason every time I start a TMT post I hear "Everyone know what time it is? TOOOL TIIIIIIME!!!"

Here is how you play: Go to your blog, and start a new post. Make sure to link back to my blog. Copy the code at the bottom of my post for my button, and paste it in your post. After you publish, come back here and add yourself to the link widget at the bottom of my post. Done! If you need tech help just let me know. Don't forget to go see what everyone has to say!

Allrighty then. This week's questions:

1. Stopping your dog - what do you prefer? On their feet? On their belly? Some combination?
2. At what point do you start teaching this?
3. Do you have a favorite dog? I won't tell.
4. What is the #1 thing a dog can do to push your buttons?
5. Brrrrr... it's winter. What is your favorite soup recipe?

My answers:

1. Stopping your dog - what do you prefer? On their feet? On their belly? Some combination?

For me this depends on the situation. None of my dogs have an actual "stand" command (though it's on my list of things to do) but most of them will stop on their feet first when I give a "lie down" unless I'm pretty firm on it. They tend to sort of read my intent, and I'm ok with that. Nick prefers to stop on his feet on the drive, and unless he's unsettling the sheep I let him do it. Linc clearly prefers not to stop at all, and likes to stop on his feet. On the rare occasion that HE isn't spooking the sheep I'll let him do it. But more often than not Linc is spooking the sheep (just his presence unsettles sheep usually) so most of the time I put him on his belly. June prefers to stop on her feet but she's a naughty little creeper, so on her belly for her too.

That being said, on difficult and hard to move sheep I encourage them to stay on their feet, unless they or I think taking the pressure off is the right choice.

2. At what point do you start teaching this?

Usually at whatever point I think they can take the pressure. My dogs tend to not have a stop or flank commands for quite a while - though I'll use the commands conversationally. I'm more interested in letting them learn to feel their sheep than I am getting commands on them. But, like with a dog like Linc, sometimes I have to put a stop on them sooner than I'd like. He was one of those.

3. Do you have a favorite dog? I won't tell.

Sadly, I do. It's usually Nick, but sometimes it just plain depends on the day. I also have favorite dogs in different moments for different reasons. I also have least favorite dogs... like Pia when she excavated my phone line this morning. *sigh*

4. What is the #1 thing a dog can do to push your buttons?

On stock that is probably fight me. Nothing quite enrages me like a dog fighting me. I don't mean an occasional fight, I mean systematically.

At home the #1 thing is picking a fight with another dog. Or maybe trampling Zippy. This one is a toss up.

5. Brrrrr... it's winter. What is your favorite soup recipe?

My Chili recipe:

2 lbs LEAN meat - I use lamb, venison, beef, turkey, or some combo of each
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilis (mild or hot) about 12-15 oz
1 to 2 15 oz can of beans (I use canned kidney or black, or pinto) drained and rinsed
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 large green bell pepper (optional)
24-32 oz chicken stock (low fat), or water
3 Tbsp chili powder (more or less to taste)
1 Tbsp cumin
1-2 tsp Basil
salt to taste
crushed red pepper to taste

1/2 of a beer (optional)

Serves about 8-10, give or take, and a serving is about 1-1/3 cups. YMMV

In a large stock pot start browning the meat. Chop and drop the onion and bell pepper into the pot as you're browning the meat. As the meat is getting closer to brown, chop and drop the garlic and the jalapeno (you don't want the garlic overcooking and becoming bitter). Drain. Put in the spices (including salt) and stir to toast for about a minute. If you're using beer, pour 1/2 of a beer in, and use it to deglaze the pan (ie scrape up the bits of yummies on the bottom). If you're not using beer, use about a cup of the stock or water. Let that simmer and reduce for about 1 minute.

Next add all of the tomatoes & beans, followed by the stock until slightly thinner than your preferred consistency - as it will cook down some. Simmer for about an hour or three or four (or however long you have - sometimes I only have 30 mins).

Options - you can use a chipotle in adobo sauce for the jalapeno (very hot though), and you could use red wine (adjust points) to deglaze the pot (or just use the chicken stock if you don't like cooking with alcohol). If the meat is superlean (like 96% lean) I'd use some EVOO when browning the beef. This particular recipe is easily adjusted to taste. If you like it spicier add more jalapeno, or some of the seeds... or an extra can of green chilis, or some crushed red pepper, or all of the above. I

You can also try using only 1 Tbsp of chili powder and add a tsp or two of cinnamon and nutmeg. It gives it a totally different taste. This is especially awesome if you use venison and/or lamb, or sausage.

Enjoy!

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Happy Birthday Zippy!

Happy Birthday Small Dog! Zippy is 18 today. Wow. I never thought when I adopted him at 11 years old that we'd have at least seven years together. What a ride it's been, too. So much joy and laughter... and frustration too. But mostly the good stuff. Happy Birthday wee man.

Now for an update (which I know we've all been waiting for). I took Zippy in yesterday for his teeth to be rechecked, and to ask about his pecker situation. With regards to the teeth, they look great but the smell is returning. The vet thinks that it could have to do with the sutures, and we're going to give him another three weeks and look again.

With regards to the pecker... it turns out that his pecker pucker string is broken, more or less. The opening to the prepuce is not drawing shut tightly enough, and his penis is basically falling out. It collects debris and bacteria, and then gets all infecty and swollen, and either gets erect or just sort of pokes out some.

Realistically speaking if I was 126 years old I'm guessing some of my puckering abilities would be a bit compromised too.

The vet has decided to try (instead of ten days) a 21 day course of antibiotics. He says that we *could* possibly do some surgery to tighten the prepuce back up, but so far Zippy seems to cruise along fine and not have issues but about every six months, so if that's the case we'll leave it alone and just hit him with ABX on an as needed basis.

As I was getting ready to leave the vet's office I asked if I should put some antibiotic ointment "in there". They asked the vet and he said I should just... wash it. I said, "Um... I've never just washed a dog penis before. I don't even know how. What do I do?"

Needless to say the three vet techs and I all got tickled. I still don't know for sure how I'm supposed to wash his penis, but we're sort of figuring it out. A cold bath I can do. But wash it? I mean, do I need to make it poke out (not that it's not already poking out) or do I just wash what's already exposed? Am I just washing outside? Am I washing inside? What do I wash it with? Who washes dog penises anyhow?

No way was I sending them back in there to ask him all of that. We're just going to wing it.

Another Small Dog Chronicle

Last week I noticed one evening that Zippy seemed hesitant to sit down. He seemed uncomfortable somehow, though it wasn't clear exactly how. He didn't seem to want to lie down in his bed for some reason (or anywhere else).

I took him out at bedtime, and saw that he was doing that weird run/sit thing again. The good thing is that now that I've seen this before I automatically knew what his issue was.

Zippy had a stiffy that wouldn't go down.

So a cold shower before bed (he was not impressed) and finally the wood receded so that he could lie down in his bed for the night. He yarked in my ear as he was not impressed with the whole cold bath thing, but I learned last time that the cold bath seems to help.

Yes. This is what my life has become.

I think I'm going to go into business for myself. I'm going to call my new company "The Spiffy Zippy Stiffy Company" and my tag line will read "For when only a cold shower will do..." or maybe "For when your dog's light switch is stuck in the 'on' position..."

Tell Me Thursday - 2012 Edition, #1

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Sorry for the delay folks! I really thought I would be all sorts of rowdy and gitterdone early, but no. Such is life sometimes!

Without further ado, here are this week's questions:

1. What is your favorite new toy? I know you have one, so you might as well go on and fess up.
2. If you're going to be caught under the mistletoe, who would you LEAST like it to be with?
3. New Year's Resolutions - for your dogs - share!
4. New Year's Resolutions - for yourself - share!
5. How did you handle the holiday food situation?

1. What is your favorite new toy? I know you have one, so you might as well go on and fess up.

My Mom got me a bunch of enameled cast iron cookware. I LOVE it. It's similar to the stuff that Pioneer Woman give away. OMG, fabulous. I now have a dutch oven, braising pan (squat little dutch oven, lol) grill pan, roasting pan, and a skillet. Really, really fun stuff. I have been eyeballing this stuff because none of my other cookware can go from cooktop to oven.

It look a little like dis:



Mom also gave me a really cool new DVD/Blueray player, but I can't figure out how to hook it up. Fail.

2. If you're going to be caught under the mistletoe, who would you LEAST like it to be with?

That little twerp from Deuce Bigelow. He creeps me out. Ew. He's a tiny little man, and he's a horny little weirdo. Maybe he's a nice person in real life, but usually he plays creepy little men on TV.

Oh, oh, and definite NO to the little orangutans they had on the news the other night. They will eat your face off.

3. New Year's Resolutions - for your dogs - share!

Get Pia going
Get Linc running Open (uh... yes, this would involve actually making some trials)
Work my dogs more

4. New Year's Resolutions - for yourself - share!

Finish losing weight
MORE COUGAR DANCING. This one's for you, Lora.
Get my own Zumba class going
See my friends more
Change my circumstances (I'll have more dog goals once this happens)

5. How did you handle the holiday food situation?

Handle? Does Free-For-All mean anything to you??? It was a massacre of every good eating habit I've collected this year. It was a bloodbath. A feeding Frenzy.

On the upside I was broke so couldn't really afford to go too overboard. Not that the scale knows that or anything. The scale agrees with me that it was a Food FAIL of epic proportions. But dang, it sure was yummy.

Ok, GO!

Onward

2011 wasn't my favorite year. It wasn't the WORST year ever, but it certainly had enough suckiness to put it towards the top of the sucktitude list. I'm hopeful that 2012 will be better. It would really be difficult to NOT be better.

Well, there were some good things about 2011. I survived it. Oh, and Pia. Pia is a good thing. I made some new friends. Took up Zumba. Found some new folks to farm-sit for. Lost some weight. Spent some time with friends, though not nearly as much as I would have liked.

2011 went out in flames of sucktitude (remember the sucktitude list?). I sent Zippy in for a dental and he came home and brought some sort of respiratory crud with him. It raged through my pack like a wildfire. I was supposed to farm-sit over the holidays but let them know what was going on, and they elected not to risk it (and rightfully so).

Zippy seems to be doing very well though. He's eating better, and finally starting to put on some weight. I hope that 2012 will find me working my dogs more, and getting out more (spending more time with friends... I've missed them). I hope 2012 finds my circumstances changing for the better.

Oh, and by the way, I plan to hook you all up with a TMT tomorrow, so stay tuned. I also was thinking I might try for an average of 1 post per week in 2012, aside from the TMT post. For the mathematically challenged, that's 2 posts per week on average. Amazing, right? A girl's gotta have goals. We'll see how that works out. Next week I plan to break out the "blind date" story that I never told last year. I figure enough time has passed that I can trot it out and not feel bad about it.