Chop Chop

I've always said it's the small things that make life so enjoyable. Yesterday Tenie, Glacier and I headed over to a local hair salon. The salon was having a two year anniversary sale and my haircut, wash and blow dry was half price. Spas have always seemed like a great idea to me. In fact, I had thought about opening one myself, but to be honest, getting fully pampered at a spa hasn't really happened for me because it's just too expensive. Massages used to be my treat, but ever since graduating from massage college, I find that I am way too picky about my massages that I hesitate to drop money on them. Haircuts have always been my go to when I feel like I need a  pick me up. Even when I don't need a pick me up, haircuts are always enjoyable for me. Yesterday was no exception.
It's something about going in and having someone else do your hair for you  that seems so luxurious to me. For the last three weeks or so I've been wearing my hair mostly in a ponytail because it was so frizzy from needing a trim desperately. Mr. K suggested I cut my hair short, making it easier for me to manage and I took his advice. I've worn my hair short before and loved it. I'm not entirely sure why I let it get to the length it had. I think the last hair dresser I had suggested a longer style and my hair has been sneakily rowing longer and longer on me.
When the hair stylist was finished yesterday, I had lost about three inches in the back and a bit less in the front. Doesn't sound like much, but my hair feels so much lighter and bouncier. Just that 45 minutes of washing, snipping and blow drying made me feel like a brand new woman. I swear: life is so much more fun when you find the simple things that bring you joy; even if it is just a haircut. :)

Our Household: Part 7

Today concludes the "Our Household" mini series. Today's post is focused on another very special boy and I've left him until the end on purpose. Not because he's not important-absolutely not-but because I thought it would be a nice wrap up to our week to learn more about Roscoe on his birthday.
Yes, today is Roscoe's fifth birthday. Happy birthday, Mr. Shaggy Dog. In honour of is B-day, let's get to know him a bit better.
Roscoe is Mr. K's guide dog and was issued to Mr. K on the same day I was matched with Glacier. Roscoe is obviously from Leader Dogs for the Blind as well as that is where Mr. K and I met. Roscoe is a 29 kilogram, or 68 LBS, Black Labrador, and as his nickname indicates, is a pretty fluffy guy. Despite being a bit too short for Mr. K-he has to lean over to reach Roscoe-Roscoe and Mr. K were perfectly matched with regards to their personalities. Mr. K had to try out a few different harness handles until he could find one that was long enough for him to work comfortably with Roscoe. Roscoe also had a few siblings graduate from our class as well, but I can't remember any of their names; except for maybe a Black Lab named Pepper. She may have been his sister. She went to work in Texas.
Roscoe was raised in Michigan  by a family and  Mr. K had the honour of meeting the wonderful people who taught Roscoe house manners, basic obedience and how to behave properly in public. I don't think puppy raisers realise how much it means to most new handlers to meet the people who helped shape their new life partner.
It would seem that in our household each dog has taken on is/her own role and takes it very seriously. Even though Roscoe is Mr. K's guide dog, he has taken it upon himself to be the protector of the home. He will alert bark if someone knocks on the door, but will stop as soon as Mr. K or I tell him that we know someone's there. He is even more sensitive to this role when Mr. K isn't at home with me and Roscoe had stayed behind for some reason or another. Roscoe isn't as much of a snuggler as Glacier is, but he always has to be near Glacier; touching him somehow. When we are out working, if he and Mr. K are in front of Glacier and I, Roscoe always looks back over his shoulder to make sure we haven't gotten lost. If I go to bed before Mr. K, all of the dogs come with me and Roscoe sleeps at the foot of the bed, closest to the door: I think this vantage point makes him feel like he can be on duty better.
Roscoe isn't all work and no play either though. He loves to run and roll in stinky things. Glacier may look for dirt, but Roscoe looks for the stinkiest thing he can find; like dead, rotting fish for example. He also is quite the talker. If he gets excited about going out to work or getting his dinner, he hops around grumbling. He's quite the character. Roscoe also never does anything half As*ed, if you'll pardon the expression. If you tell him to sit, his butt hits the floor with an emphatic "wham!" That is probably why he takes his protective duties so seriously.
As all of our other animals have several nicknames, so does Roscoe.
Shaggy Dog: because he has a fluffy, wavy coat, with long fur between his toes. If he's out in the mud or snow, I would often have to make an effort to ensure things weren't clinging to his toe hair.
Mr. Rudeness: Roscoe may be the protector, but sometimes he has no regard for anyone else. Once when we were  at the vet, I had Glacier go into a down and Mr. K asked Roscoe to sit. Instead of sitting on the very empty floor space, Roscoe planted his rear on Glacier's head; with that emphatic "wham" of course.
Moscoes: This is a name he got early on. Mr. K's niece, who was about two when Roscoe came home, couldn't say "Roscoe." So, when she called him it came out "Moscoes." The name has stuck and is applied to Roscoe when he is being sweet or goofy. As one of our friends aptly said, "Roscoe is for when he is working and Moscoes is for when he is off duty."
Little Bear: This goes back to his fluffiness and that he's black. Not to mention, his little noises he makes when happy make him sound like a bear.
People often stop us to comment on how beautiful our boys are. Glacier's colouring is often the topic of conversation. That, or his gigantic head, but when people talk about Roscoe, they mention how he looks like he came off of the front of a hunting dog magazine. He looks like the perfect gun dog with his huge jowls, blocky head, thick coat and broad tail. I think that if he hadn't been a guide dog, he could have been trained to hunt birds; he just would have to work on his swimming ability.
Glacier is horrible at swimming, but at least Roscoe tries. When he swims out from the shore, he lifts his front paws right out of the water and whacks the waves. He looks and sounds like he is about to drown. The strange part is that when he turns around and goes back to shore, the waves behind him, he swims properly. Maybe he thinks he has to climb over the waves?
Here are a few fun facts about Roscoe.
1. Roscoe loves pillows. If there is a pillow on a couch or bed, it can be guaranteed that Roscoe will be using it. When I was attending massage college, he used to climb up on the bed, where Mr. K was asleep, grab my pillow and take it back down into his bed. A classic example of his love of pillows and why the nickname "Mr. Rudeness" applies.
2. All Labs love food, but you can't even say "supper," "breakfast," "cookie" or "food" around him because he loses his mind. He acts like I've never fed him even if he's just polished his bowl clean. If you say "food" around five PM or when you first wake up in the morning-his two feeding times-the dog nearly comes out of his skin  with excitement. He starts talking and prancing.
3. Roscoe's newest trick is learning how to give "five" and he loves doing it. If he sits and you ask him to "give me five" he reaches over with his paw and hits you with it. Remember I said he never does anything without enthusiasm? If he's going to give you five, you're going to know about it.
4. Roscoe is faster than Glacier when out running. When they are running on straight aways, they are pretty evenly matched, but because Roscoe is more compact and lower to the ground, he can take the corners better. I think he knows this because if he is playing with Glacier, he'll run circles so that Glacier can never catch him. Mr. Rudeness is quite appropriate don't you think? Either that or he's too smart.
5. Despite his love for food, Mr. K can put an Oreo cookie on each of his front paws, tell him to leave it and Roscoe will not touch them; even if he is left alone. He has waited for twenty minutes before, surrounded by cookies and never moved. He was quite excited when Mr. K released him from his "stay" and he was given his own cookies. Good boy, Roscoe.
6. To Glacier, I am his girl, his handler, but to Roscoe I am Mom. He does not work for me and because of that, we can have a different relationship. However, it is not completely the same as other owner/pet relationships because, ultimately, he is still Mr. K's working dog.
With that, we have reached the end of our "getting to know you better" marathon. I hope you all have enjoyed it.
Happy birthday again, Roscoe.
love
Mom

Our Household: Part 6

Of course we all know the one and only Glacier; the guy for whom this blog was renamed from "Jess and Jetta's Adventures" to "At A Glacial Pace." The funny thing is, I think even when Glacier retires and has gone to the Rainbow Bridge-let's hope we don't have to worry about that for a while-the name "At A Glacial Pace" will remain. Out of all of the dogs who have passed through my life, Glacier has taught me the most about loyalty, hard work, friendship and partnership. Without getting too mushy, Glacier has, as every guide dog owner will tell you, changed my life. But, it's been in this incredible way that I never knew would happen. He taught me to speak up for what I believe and also that I should not be afraid to ask questions. I have always done these things, but my journey with Glacier has driven these lessons home.
Let's take some time to get to know this big guy better. :)
There is nothing "glacial" about this big guy; except for his colouring and size perhaps. He walks very fast and makes quick decisions to keep us both safe. I do have to admit though, he thinks about things a lot harder than Jetta ever did and if I interrupt his thinking process, he gets flustered.
As most of you know, Glacier is a 33 kilogram, or 75 LBS, Yellow Labrador; a huge change from my little Jetta. When I first met him, I was convinced that he'd be more difficult to handle due to sheer size, but in a lot of ways I was wrong about that. He is much lighter in the harness, which means that he doesn't lean as heavily into the chest strap of his working harness. This was a shock, as I thought that if he was bigger, he'd pull harder. Of course when he sees someone or something he likes, he can pull harder than Jetta ever could, but when we are just walking along, and he is minding his own business, he is very light.
Another surprise was how sensitive he was and still is. Jetta was stubborn and required a much heavier hand to keep in check, whereas, Glacier often just needs a verbal reminder and he's back on track. It was a hard lesson to learn as I worked with him for almost two years before realising this. It nearly cost us our working relationship. Once I discovered that gentle verbal reminders and just snapping my fingers were all he needed, we began to bloom as a working team. Now, three and a half years later, I think we are finally finding our groove. I've been asked why I stuck it out so long with him and my simple answer was that because I knew he loved working and that he was good at it: I just had to figure out how to be the handler he needed to be successful.
Aside from working, Glacier loves a lot of things that you would consider regular dog things. You can't have all work and no play. One of Glacier's favourite thing to do is find a particularly dirty patch of grass or mud and roll in it until he turns into a Chocolate Lab. It doesn't matter where we go, he always manages to find a hole for his rolling pleasures. Murphy's Law; the white dog gets the dirtiest. I've also mentioned before how he loves to lie in wait for any unsuspecting passing by pup, usually Roscoe, and then run full tilt after them and tackle them.
Glacier doesn't necessarily do a lot of things that would be considered typical to a Labrador because his formal training would have discouraged such behaviors. Retrieving, for example, is not one of his strong suits. In fact, I don't even think he knows how retrieving is supposed to work. Often times, if you throw something he doesn't even chase it. He also does not like swimming, but I'm not sure if that is because of his training and upbringing or because he's just a strange sort. The one thing that is  not negated by his training is his love for food. In that regard, Glacier is a Labrador deep in his bones.
Speaking of food, Glacier had a horrible habit of eating everything when I first got him; especially things that were not edible. He ate velcro, Brillo pads, floss, earphones, a doll's face...the list could go on and on. I don't know if he has an oral fixation or what, but his eating of everything got him into a lot of trouble; including surgery to remove the velcro, doll's face, pen cap, goggle strap and whatever else they found.  Most recently, he decided it was a good idea to snap the end off of a soft, puppy Nylabone and consume it. That resulted in him throwing up every morning for two weeks until he finally threw it up. It doesn't matter how Glacier proof I think something is, he always manages to surprise me. His oral fixation has lead to some pretty useful and interesting experiences though.
When we first arrived here and were staying with Tenie and the girls, Tenie dropped a peach on the kitchen floor. Glacier strolled over, picked it up and brought it to me, setting it into my lap minus teeth marks. The soft peach was completely unharmed by Glacier's very powerful chompers. I think that if he had been trained to be a service dog, he would have done well. When people come to visit, he always has to greet them by carrying something to them, such as my slippers, a shoe, his bone, a blanket he's snatched from the couch...he never hurts the objects, just shows them off.
For those of you who have been reading for a while, you will know that even though he does not destroy his "gifts," he definitely has the power to do so. Glacier has one of the strongest set of chompers I have experienced. He destroyed a hockey puck in less than seven minutes and  tore the top off of a Black Kong (King sized), in less than fifteen minutes. There aren't very many toys Glacier won't destroy and so we are very selective in our household as to what we buy for the boys, and Hermione as well. Otherwise, we would have a toy graveyard in our living room very quickly.
A few quick, fun facts about Glacier:
1. Glacier was born March 16, 2007. His Mom's name was Babe and his Dad's name was Sigh; both dogs were a part of the Leader Dogs for the Blind breeding program.
2. Glacier was raised in Marquette Michigan and his puppy raiser was a teacher; I believe for a Kindergarten class.
3. Glacier was not the only one from his litter to graduate from Leader Dogs for the Blind as a full fledged working, guide dog. He had a few siblings in my class; one of them was named Murphy.
4. Glacier is one of the only dogs I know who refuses to play with the Kong Wobbler properly. Instead of whacking it around to make the kibble fall out, he'd rather sit down and try to chew the top off.
5. One cue Glacier refuses to learn, or remember, is "follow." At Leader Dogs for the Blind, the guide dogs are trained to "follow" a sighted person that is pointed to by the handler. No matter who we're following, Mr. K or Tenie, Glacier decides to not follow. I don't know if he thinks they are going the wrong way or if he feels like making up his own route, he will not follow. In malls or such places, where we are all traveling as a  group, I often have to heel him and take an elbow; otherwise, I will not be arriving at the same destination as everyone else. In his defense, apparently "follow" is one of the hardest cues to teach a dog and since he does everything else so well, I suppose I can give him a bit of a break. That is a new conclusion I have come to as I have worked very hard over the years to get him to follow reliably.
So, there you have it. Some old and new information about Glacier; the big Yellow Fellow with the big heart.

Our Household: Part 5

We're back to the humans today and so that means you get to read all about me. Don't worry, I won't make the post too long. ;)
I don't know whether I go looking for adventure or if I just  turn everything I do into an adventure, but I always feel like I have some  story to tell. That is part of the reason why I started this blog so many years ago. That said, usually my stories involve me in some way, since it is my life, but I am not usually the focal point. In fact, I find it hard to write about myself: I think a lot of people do, but I'll try to give you a small glimpse into what makes me tick.
I was born with an illness called Retinal Blastoma, which is cancer in my retinas. Nobody knew until I was about two and I had lost both of my eyes by the time I was three. Both of my eyes are prosthetic and I can't tell you how many pranks I've played on people with them. Not to mention, the unintentional things that happen when you have prosthetic eyes. Anyway...
Despite being a blind kid, I think I had a pretty good childhood. Sure, there was some bullying and most definitely some exclusion by other kids, but I had one friend who I met when I was seven and she and I have been inseparable ever since then. In fact, the longest we were apart was when she moved to Scotland for her Master's degree and I wasn't far behind her. That friendship made all the difference in the world. I was so lucky, and still am very lucky, to have had Tenie as my best friend. Together we took on the world, but not in your typical little girl way.
When we played "house" the dolls we played with weren't our children, but were being babysat and would be picked up by their moms at the end of the day. When we played "Barbies" our Barbie dolls were witches and wizards and battling evil for the greater good of the world. We found games in hopping around in cardboard boxes, riding tandem bikes, singing at the top of our lungs and fishing in a river with fishing nets and thigh high rubber boots. We were pretty creative kids and I am so glad I had her to share those experiences with. We definitely made our own adventures back then.
I did attend a school for the blind for three years, but it was my decision to go and it was my decision to return to the public school system. Tenie was there of course and she made navigating high school so much more enjoyable. I went off to university a year ahead of her, but fate was kind and she ended up at the same university a year later. By that point, I had been working with Jetta for a year and had attended one Paralympic Games.
All in all, I attended three Paralympic Games-Sydney, Athens and Beijing-and swimming had been a huge part of my life. The swimming trials for the Paralympic Games were actually a few days ago and it was the first time in 12 years that I wasn't there. It's kind of a funny feeling; kind of sad, but also relieved as well. I retired from swimming at the end of Beijing and moved on to massage therapy college, with Glacier in tow.
2008 saw some big changes, with me beginning to work with a new dog and I also met Mr. K. Retiring from swimming that year also forced me to redefine who I was and find ways to fill my time. Sometimes I still struggle with that. After spending so long, committing so much time and energy into one activity, you almost don't know what to do with all of the extra time.
I graduated from massage therapy college, got married, moved to SC, had many experiences with various dogs and then ended up in Scotland, waiting to go back to school for my Master's degree in the fall. Of course, other things happened along the way, but I would have to write a novel and I'm not sure it would sell. :)
I have a lot of interests: such as jewelry/soap making, dog training/behavior,  reading, writing, volunteering, singing, attempting to train for a triathlon (which has sort of been put on hold), horseback riding Etc. I've never been able to sit still well and I think having retired from swimming has increased my need for movement.
The famous quote for this blog seems to be:
"there is never a dull moment"
and although I like to blame it on my dogs, I think I'm really good at putting myself into those situations. Honestly though, I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

Our Household: Part 3

Before I start today's post, I had an interesting question from the last one. It was  asked if it was true that Sugar Gliders hate dogs.
In our household, our Sugar Gliders do not hate dogs. In fact, when Fiona, Yoda and Plato are out and about, they often jump on to Glacier and Roscoe and scurry around on the boys. Both boys are incredibly patient and just ignore the Sugies. Hermione has only been introduced to them through the cage so far, but eventually, we hope to teach her that Sugar Gliders are friends, not food.
I thought today we could be introduced to one of the two humans in our household. We are definitely outnumbered by animals here, but I don't think we'd have it any other way.
Introducing Mr. K.
Mr. K was born and raised in Michigan, but moved around a bit in his early adult years. He attended college to become a minister, but realised that that sort of work just wasn't for him. He started working for Best Buy and quickly climbed the managerial ladder. He worked in both Michigan and Florida and was very successful. At age 25, just six months after he had bought a brand new car, he lost his sight to a neurological condition. Apparently it had been going on for a while, but there was nothing gradual about the onset. At one point, he was totally blind, but after under going some heavy steroid treatments, he regained some of his light perception, which he still has today. This means, he can see bright lights on TV screens or even outside, as long as there is enough contrast.
After this very obvious life altering experience, he attended the Commission for the Blind in Michigan, which is a facility designed to assist totally blind and visually impaired people learn important life skills, such as reading braille and Orientation and Mobility. (Orientation and Mobility is what we are taught to allow us to be independent travelers). After four months at the Commission, Mr. K attended Leader Dogs for the Blind and was matched with Roscoe. This is where we met as well.
Our"courting" story is kind of funny, but quite lengthy. So, perhaps I'll leave that for another day.
Mr. K decided to go back to school and in October of 2009, he entered Liberty University for Psychology. He is currently a "Senior" and will probably graduate in the fall of 2013; unless he decides to do a double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice. His future plans include attending the University of Edinburgh for his Master's in some kind of Neuro Psychology program that I can never remember the name of; it's just that impressive.
Mr. K is six foot five and his height is often a conversation starter. We always tease him because Roscoe is shorter than Glacier, but realistically, personality wise, Mr. K and Roscoe were matched perfectly.
Mr. K likes to draw and after not drawing due to his sight loss, my mom convinced him to try again with some very impressive success.  He also started painting when we moved with even more success. One of our friends has commissioned him to paint him a series of paintings, with the Yorkshire rose as the focus. Everyone who sees the paintings are floored at how good they are. Mr. K, of course, does not think they are brilliant, but many people would beg to differ. He also comes from a musical background in that he played the guitar in a metal band in high school and continued playing music, just with different instruments. When we lived in SC, he picked up the banjo and thoroughly enjoyed it and now he is taking online lessons for the mandalen. He is actually talented and I am impressed at how quickly he has learned to play each new instrument.
Mr. K is also the biggest nerd around, but I love him for it. It's funny because if you were to see him, you may not believe me. He has several tattoos and his hair used to be shaved into a mohawk, but underneath all of that, Mr. K loves electronics and videogames. Cameras, computers, new cellphones, anything that may be related to technology and he's going to be excited. His favourite are speakers though. When we lived in SC, he had a crazy sound system and whenever someone gets a new one, he is always over hooking it up properly.
Mr. K wasn't really an animal person until he met me and was matched with Roscoe. Actually, I think the various dogs we've had in our considerably short relationship have all brought him closer to being a dog person. He has completely fallen in love with Hermione and as I mentioned before, the Sugar Gliders have attached themselves to him.
As for me and Mr. K: we are best friends. Sure, we have little spats as any friends or married people do, but at the end of the day, we like doing things with each other and love being around one another. We definitely complement one another  well and I think that is what makes our relationship work. I think sometimes it is easy to forget, in the craziness of the day to day, how important someone can be to you. Sometimes I forget to tell him how proud of him I am and how lucky I am to have him in my life. I mean, really, who else would put up with my crazy dog antics?

Our Household: Part 2

Yesterday we took a stroll down memory lane and met Jetta, my first guide dog; a spunky Black Labrador who always made sure there was never a dull moment. I thought today we'd switch gears and talk about three, odd, little creatures that have recently joined our family.
Meet Fiona, Plato and Yoda. Never mind who are they, but rather, what are they?
Fiona, Plato and Yoda are Sugar Gliders. I call them my flying monkeys, but that isn't entirely accurate. Actually, it's really inaccurate. Sugar Gliders are native to Australia and Indonesia and are nocturnal marsupials with a "gliding" membrane that stretches from their ankles to their wrists. Sugar Gliders are approximately six inches long, with a prehensile tail-they can use it to grab things-and opposable thumbs. They are also very clever creatures and, if not secured properly, can learn to open their own cage. I have often seen them referred to as acting like dogs, and, after owning them for four months, I would agree with that statement.
All three have learned their names, but Fiona is the best at coming when she is called. All three have really taken to Mr. K even though the Sugar Gliders were supposed to be my critters. However, Sugar Gliders choose who they bond to and they have taken a liking to Mr. K. We always joke that there is no denying who the Sugies belong to because Mr. K likes to drink Coke and if a Sugie is out, they are instantly drawn to the Coke can. Obviously, we do not let them have the Coke as it would be very bad for them, but you almost have to fight them off of the can because they cling on for dear life. Friends who are over and drinking anything sweet are warned to keep their cups covered. We've watched one of the Sugies shove a paper back book off of a glass of Coke so that he could get into it. Did I mention that they are very smart?
When we first got Sugar Gliders, we had Fiona and her brother who we named Gus. Unfortunately, Gus died accidentally, when he escaped our living room and fell into the open toilet; one of the most common ways for a Sugar Glider to die. It was incredibly sad and both Mr. K and I felt horrible for Fiona. Sugar Gliders are very social creatures, living with up to sixteen other Gliders in the wild, and within 24 hours of Gus's passing Fiona started acting as though we had never bonded with her. She didn't sleep well and would bite us if we came near her. We knew that we had to find her some friends fast.
Enter Plato and Yoda.
On December 31, Mr. K and I hopped a train and went to pick up the two male joeys who we named Plato and Yoda. We were really nervous about introducing them as a lot of the literature we had read made the process sound very complicated and sensitive. Perhaps in certain situations it is, but for our three, all we did was put the sleeping boys in the cage and Fiona immediately climbed in with them. After the boys' arrival, Fiona was much happier, sleeping better and also allowing us to pet her again. It is interesting to note that Sugar Gliders are incredibly soft. I would say that their fur  almost feels like a bunny. What is also interesting is that their hands and feet do not have fur and the opposable thumbs are present on both the front and back feet.
 Since then, Plato and Yoda were neutered as we didn't want any joeys and it also makes them more friendly. Not to mention, their "man" smell decreases drastically as the scent glands on their forehead and chest dries up.
For the most part, the Sugies are cage dwelling animals, but we let them out at night so they can interact with us and get some exercise. Their cage is definitely quite large, standing over six feet tall, but it's good for them to get out and "glide." They also like to sit on Mr. K and groom him. They do this by going through his hair with their hands, spitting on his hair and pulling any tangles out. They also use their teeth to pull away any dead skin. Before the boys were neutered, Plato was a bit rough and Mr. K wouldn't let him groom, but since the operation he's become much more gentle. The funny thing is that Yoda is the biggest out of  all of them and is probably the gentlest. They are some of the neatest little creatures and are always providing us with entertainment when they are out and about. Mr. K even sometimes carries Fiona around with him in a bonding pouch when we are out in public. Just the other day, we had supper at a nearby pub and Fiona was nestled under Mr. K's hoodie.
So, it's not just dogs that occupy our home: we have little flying monkeys too! I never thought I'd be much into exotic animals, and although Fiona, Yoda and Plato are Mr. K's babies, I really like having them around. Watching a movie in our house just isn't watching a movie anymore if there isn't a little fuzzy critter scampering/hopping/gliding around the room.

Our Household: Part 1

It was recently brought to my attention that not everyone who reads this blog may necessarily know everyone who makes up the Mr. and Mrs. K household. I thought that I would take a few posts to re-introduce everyone; kind of a reminder to some and maybe even to myself. Some family members do not live with us anymore, but are still considered a part of our family. I think we should pay tribute to those fuzzies as well. I thought today we'd start with the dog who began this blog with me.
It was in December of 2006 that I started writing this blog; at least, I think it was 2006. I had started it to try to document the things happening in my life so that I could look back. A lot of things have changed since then, but the one thing that remains is that the dog who inspired those first posts still holds a very special place in my heart and I miss having her around.
Jetta, a 53 LBS Black Labrador, was my first guide dog. She and I were matched on July 03 2002 and we worked together until August of 2008. Our working relationship was a bit shorter than most, but she was a very busy girl, guiding me practically around the globe, and so I really think she deserved an early retirement.
Besides going to swimming competitions all over the world, Jetta was there during some pretty significant times in my life. She is the one who walked me across the stage when I graduated from my under Grad program and although less glamorous, she made sure I was safe during every day tasks. She even kept me from getting run over by a semi-truck on our university campus. I posted about this incident, with a few choice words.
Jetta taught me a lot about working with and training dogs and also stole my heart with her little hip wiggle and big attitude. She was always plotting and sometimes her carefully laid plans were worth the waiting. Once, we found her with all four paws on Tenie's dresser, attempting to steal the chocolate bar Tenie had pushed up against her mirror. Other times her schemes didn't go as planned, like when she would sneak off to Tenie or Carmen's rooms in order to avoid going to swim practice at 5 AM. I often caught her before she even made it to the girls' doors, but she definitely put in her best effort.
Jetta is now eleven years old and living a happy life with my parents. Retiring her wasn't a difficult decision for me as she decided for herself, as only Jetta would, but giving her up was hard. I knew where she was going and I could see her from time to time and that made my decision a bit easier. I was moving to a new city and getting a new guide dog and I didn't feel that I was in a position to keep her, learn a new city and bond with a new guide dog. So, my parents happily took her.
Since retiring, Jetta's adventures haven't ended. She hasn't necessarily had to fly on planes anymore, but she has taken many road trips. She gets to go camping and run around in the forest. Basically, she gets to be a real dog. I always get to see her when visiting my parents and she insists sleeping on my feet. She even loves Mr. K to death, which is kind of funny because Jetta is not your typical Lab. She is not super affectionate and usually keeps to herself. Even when my mom takes Jetta to the dog park, she would rather go off and sniff and frolic on her own.
So, even though Jetta is on a completely different continent, I still consider her a part of our family. She may not necessarily live in our household, but she is most certainly in my thoughts.

Hermione Health Report

Today was Hermione's second vet visit. She was due for her second set of vaccinations as she was 10 weeks old over the weekend. She had a skin reaction to her first set of shots-the vaccination site swelling up like an egg-and so today I gave her a Benadryl before heading over to the vet's office in order to attempt to avoid the same reaction this time around.
Glacier accompanied us as is to be expected and I was very impressed by his guiding. He ignored other dogs and a yowling cat in order to make sure I made it back to the examination room safely. He lay quietly at my feet during Hermione's appointment and sat alertly while I paid our very hefty bill. I think he thought that if he stayed quiet the vet would forget he was there and not do anything to him.
The visit really didn't take long, with the vet checking Hermione's ears, eyes, lungs and heart. Hermione also was given her vaccinations and we were pretty much good to go. There were a few things that were a bit troubling though.
First of all, it would appear that the ear mites that she had been treated for after her first vet visit have not completely cleared up. I had given her the ear drops for the full seven days and she has been off of them now for another seven. I was sent home with ear cleaner and instructions to administer that once a day, while starting up the ear mite drops twice a day again. Not so bad, but slightly irritating.
I remember when Baloo, our Dachshund, had ear mites. The vet just gave him a tablet twice and the mites cleared up without any further problems. Granted, Baloo is a short haired Dachshund and so his ears are not nearly as furry as Hermione's and therefore breathe more, but you'd think there would be an easier way to take care of this. The ear mite drops are so gross, leaving Hermione's pretty, curly ears all greasy.
The vet also said that Hermione may have a heart murmur. This is a bit more concerning as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are prone to a condition that leads to them having leaky valves.  It is completely possible that she could outgrow it as heart murmurs can show up in puppies as the thickness of their blood is different from an adult dog. I'm hoping for the latter. I also don't wonder if perhaps the heart murmur appeared because I had given her the Benadryl.
Benadryl usually wouldn't cause her heart to race or anything, except that I didn't realise that this Benadryl wasn't the sleepy kind. Mr. K pointed out that perhaps there were stimulants in the tablet and this could show up as a heart irregularity. I didn't mention that to the vet as we're going back in two weeks and we'll check her heart then. The murmur wasn't there two weeks ago and her breeder checked her heart as well. So, here's to hoping that it's nothing.
Aside from that stuff, I also asked the vet about Hermione's incessant pooping. Mr. K and I thought we were over feeding her, but seeing how she gained only 250 grams, we definitely aren't. We had given her a de-wormer that the breeder gave us and the vet thought that perhaps that it wasn't a strong enough de-wormer. It is working a bit, as Hermione doesn't look skeletal the way Aria did when she was riddled with worms, but Hermione's  appetite is ferocious. No matter how much we feed her, she never seems to be full.
I explained this to the vet and also that Hermione's poop is incredibly soft and sometimes runny. She sent me home with a different de-worming tablet and Hermione will get that tomorrow. We figured that vaccinations and a de-wormer all in one day may be a bit much for her system.
The thing that I find strange about the de-worming process here is that puppies are de-wormed every two weeks up until they are three months old. I don't remember doing that with any of our Dachshunds when they were babies. Aria had worms so badly when she came to us, but she was given one tablet and she was good to go. I asked the vet why and she explained that the worms lay dormant as do the larvae. Thus, it is important to keep treating the puppy. Her answer was less than satisfactory for me. She explained it in very simple terms. I understand that vets are probably taught to use laymen's terms to explain medical conditions and so I understand where she is coming from, but at the same time, she didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I probably should have pushed the issue. Regardless, we are back in two weeks and I'll ask better formulated questions then.
As I mentioned above, we'll go back in two weeks to have Hermione's heart listened to again and also to have  her ears checked. If the crazy poop machine hasn't calmed down by then, then I'll have to bring in a fecal sample as well.
Despite all of this, Hermione seems fine. Sure, she's a pooping maniac and sometimes she itches her ear, but her energy levels are great and her appetite is through the roof. She likes to play and is so easy to train. She already knows "sit" and we'll be moving on to "watch me" and probably "down" in the next few days.
As for her heart, pooping and ears?
I'm not really that concerned yet. We'll take it as it comes. I'm just enjoying the antics that only a puppy can bring into your home. That said, if you can spare some of your good thoughts for us with regards to her heart, I would really appreciate it.

Happy Birthday Yellow Fellow

He's five!
I can hardly believe it. My big Yellow Fellow is sort of middle aged. That means, we've been together for almost four years. I am not sure where the time has gone, but I couldn't ask for a better dog.
I'm sure every dog owner says that about his/her dog, but, for me, Glacier is my guy. We've been through so much and I just feel now that I'm really getting to know him. He's such a happy, goofy guy and I am so lucky that we were matched three and a half years ago.
I'm not sure what he was like as a puppy. I only have one photo of him, which I've shared with you, when he was a baby. I know his puppy raiser was a teacher and Glacier was read to by the children at "circle time." Other than that, I don't know much else, but I bet he was adorable; all paws and head.
Today has been a bit  slow for him as Mr. K and I have been fighting  or are finishing up with the stomach flu, and it was one of the most horrible stomach flus!
His morning  started off by Glacier having half of a banana in his breakfast, and he and I worked our way to the grocery store to get apple juice for Mr. K and then on to the pet store, where we bought puppy pads and a few edible chew treats for he, Roscoe and Hermione to have later. He is now snuggled up with Roscoe, having a well deserved nap.
The funny thing is, I don't think he would spend his birthday any other way. He loves to work and he was excited to go to the pet store of course. The clerk gave him a huge biscuit because it was his birthday, and you can never go wrong with Labs and food. He knows there is a treat tucked away in the drawer for him as well. He also is best friends with Roscoe and I think that if he could choose, Roscoe would definitely be a part of his day.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, Tenie, Carmen and I are taking the dogs on an outing back to the North Sea so that they can have a good run; another part of Glacier's birthday present. Besides working, I know a crazy, all out, zoomies on the beach would be the best gift for him. People have teased me in the past about birthday parties for dogs and presents, but I figure that he works so hard for me that he deserves a day or two all about him.
 I also think a good free run will help him forget Hermione's moved in. ;)
In closing, since it is Glacier's fifth birthday, I will leave you with five fun facts about Glacier; in typical blogging fashion. :)
1. Glacier likes to use his paws. I don't mean just a little high five here and there. Oh no. Mr. G uses his feet all of the time. Once we were out working with Cessna from Ruled by Paws and both dogs were in a "sit stay" in harness, minding their own business. Well, at least Cessna was minding her own business. I felt Glacier shift and I reached over to check what he was doing, only to find him with his paw resting on her head; kind of like when very tall people use shorter people for leaning poles. He also uses his paws to hold your arm still so he can give you a bath and will often use his paws to gently whack anything that may be annoying him.
2. Glacier doesn't bark. Okay, perhaps he barks, but in the three and a  half years I have had him, I have heard him bark a total of six or seven times. Each time it is just one, gigantic, "woof." I've heard him use his very big voice wen telling Hermione to please stop nipping his toes. He didn't growl or snarl, just one huge warning "woof." I've also heard him bark once when playing with Mr. K and we haven't been able to replicate it. He's just a guy of few words, I suppose.
4. Glacier has zero prey drive. Guide dogs are required to have a very low one, but I don't think Glacier has a hunting bone in his body. If he sees a cat, he just wants to stroll around with it; he completely ignores squirrels/chipmunks; and doesn't even flinch when the pigeons fly up only two feet from his face. The only thing I've seen him want to chase, besides Roscoe during zoomies, was a frog. We were out for a walk on a bike path and a little frog hopped out in front of us. Glacier had been guiding me along, ignoring all manner of creatures, and so I was startled when he tried hopping off after it. He doesn't even try to chase the Sugar Gliders when they are out, roaming our living room. He just wants to follow Fiona around, like they are best buds.
5. Glacier is a great snuggler. I can sit in front of him on the floor, and he will drop his head down and push the back of it into my chest. We can sit like that for a very long time. He will also rest his chin on my shoulder and start to fall asleep when I'm sitting down in front of him. When he is asked up into my bed, he will lay with his back pressed up against me, stretched out to his full length. When he knows you are sad or sick, he just wants to lie on your feet. I remember when we were at Leader Dogs for the Blind, I was having a particularly rough day and I went into one of the bathrooms at our downtown working centre to cry. He looked up at me and instantly started slurping my face and even though I was still frustrated, I didn't need to cry anymore. He's a lover, not a  fighter. :)
So, here's to you, Mr. G. Let the next five years of your life be as happy as your first.
love,
your girl

Fun Fact Friday: Love

It's been a while since we've had a Fun Fact Friday around here. I thought that it would be fitting to have today's reflect the Month of Love theme; especially since we are celebrating Valentine's Day to the Max. with our Blogville Valentine's Day PAWTY.

Fifteen Fun Facts: Love
1. Did you know that even though most animals are not interested in monogamous relationships, there are some who mate for life? The Canadian Goose or the Swan, for example, all keep the same partner throughout his/her lifetime. This is also true of some types of wolves.
2. There was a game my friends and I used to play when we were kids that determined how compatible you were with your love interest. You took the phrase "true love" and your first, middle and last name and your love interest's first, middle and last name. Then you went through the phrase "true love" to see how many letters from each name were in true love. You then added the letters up, added a zero and that is how many points you got with tha tperson. The higher the score, more likely you were destined to be together. Here's an example:
Christena Nicole Hodges
Michael Clancy Smith
T = 2
R = 1
U = 0
E = 3
L = 3
O = 2
V = 0
E = 3
This matching gets 140 points.
3. One year, while in university, I decorated the house I was sharing with Tenie and Carmen. I also made little Valentine's for the girls and for the dogs we knew. When the girls woke up they were touched, but pointed out that I had stuck a black heart over Heath Ledger's face...woops.
4. An estimated 198 million roses were made for Valentine's Day in 2010 in the United States.
5. Apparently, women prefer to get gifts in the evening, after a nice meal, whereas men prefer to receive gifts in the morning.
6. Most of the roses sold on Valentine's Day are red.
7. Approximately 141 million cards are sold globally on Valentine's Day.
8. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew a name from a bowl to see who his/her Valentine would be. They would wear that name on his/her sleeve for a week.
9. Parents receive 1 in every 5 Valentine's.
10. Verona, the Italian city where Romeo and Juliette was set, receives about a thousand letters, addressed to Juliette, a year on Valentine's Day.
11. I have read that about 3 percent of pet owners will get something for his/her pet on Valentine's Day. I think this number must be wrong-it must be higher, right?
12. Next to Christmas, Valentine's Day sells the most cards.
13. If you see a squirrel on Valentine's Day, it is thought that you will marry a cheap skate who will horde all of your money. (You hear that doggies? Chase those squirrels off on Feb. 14).
14. It is said that if you cut an apple in half, the number of seeds inside will predict the number of children you will have.
and
15. Getting a kiss first thing, Valentine's morning, is considered good luck.

Any Takers?

Hello everyone: Glacier here, doing my girl a favor.
She has been so busy puttin' photos on to a page thingy, sendin' out email thingies and all sorts of excitin' thingies for the Blogville Valentine's Day PAWTY. So, I told her to give her fingers a rest this morning and I would type for her. She's off in the kitchen makin' some coffee. That's one of the only thingies that  the Daddy lets her make. Hers is not so good in the kitchen. Anyway, gotta type fast befure she comes back. I have some favors to ask and I need to tell ya the truth so that you understand how desperately I need your help. She won't like it! So, here it goes.

With all of the excitin' plannin' my girl seems to have missed one very impawtant detail: if we're gonna be dancin' we're gonna need music. She has sent me on the hunt for a band or a DJ. There has got to be a band or a DJ somewhere out there in Blogville? Mayor Frankie suggested Puddles could sing "Rain drops keep falling on my head" over and over again if we can't find a band. So, I am hopin' we can find some music for our dancin'...no offense Puddles.
My girl thinks that maybe she could teach Fiona, Plato and Yoda to play some instruments in two weeks if she had to, but those flying Monkey thingies she calls Sugar Gliders give me the creeps. Just the other day Fiona pulled one of the Daddy's keys off of his keyboard in search of treasures. They have thumbs!
Thumbs I tell ya!
 I'm thinkin' that they probably could be trained, but there's no tellin' what they'll do. So, is anyone out there musically inclined in any capacity? If not, the Flying Monkeys may be our only option.
More concerning than the Flying Monkeys performin' at the Blogville PAWTY is that my girl needs to bake a birthday cake. She won't tell me whose, but it's someone's birthday on February fourteenth and she thinks that all of Blogville needs cake to celebrate. I like cake! Oh, wait. I've never had cake...my girl is thinkin' that it should be a critter friendly cake. Now, listen very carefully, my girl may be able to teach the Flying Monkeys to play instruments, but that girl should NOT, under any circumstances, be allowed to bake!
I repeat! Under no circumstances!
 She and the kitchen disagree. She's lit the stove on fire, boiled a sponge into her pasta salad and dogness knows what else!
True stories! I wasn't there, but my girl's first guide dog, Jetta, told me all bouts it.
So, please Blogville! I am beggin' ya! Can someone bake a critter friendly cake?
Pppppllllllleeeeaaassssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't let her do it!
Just don't!!!!!!
Oh, hers is comin' back. Gotta hurry.
If you can bake a critter friendly cake for February 14th, can you email my girl at:
purple DOT tidalwave AT gmail DOT com
Don't tell hers I warned ya bouts her cookin'...okay?
*****
Update: Glacier back again. Have you seen what Mayzie is doing fur the PAWTY?! Hers needs a date and she's turned it into a contest. I was going to enter, but brother Roscoe saw her photo and is smitten. So, I will back off.
If you're looking for a date, gentlemen, go on over to her
blog
and enter, but just be warned, Roscoe is entering too.

I'm A Working Stiff

No, really. I am. There's no shame in it. I live for my job and work for my life; and my girl's life too.

You don't believe me?

Let me tell ya all bouts it.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Glacier. Not Iceberg, Ice cube or Blizzard as some would like to call me: it's Glacier. I know it because it was the first thing I learned. It's the first word that leaves my girl's mouth when she's giving me a cue. Cues like, "Glacier forward," or "Glacier find the curb."

That's right. I find curbs and a whole bunch of things. Curbs, chairs, doors, stairs, escalators, elevators. I even know how to "find the Daddy." My girl taught me that one because both her and the Daddy's eyes don't work so well. That's why my girl has me. That's why I'm a working stiff.

My training started when I was a little wee guy. I lived with a really great family who taught me all the things I would need to know to be a working dog. Then, I moved into a school for six months and started learning a whole bunch of new things; things like watching for cars, moving safely around obstacles, ignoring food/people/other dogs. That ignoring thing was the hardest thing to learn. I'm a Labrador, how can I possibly ignore food?

But I do because it is my job. If I stop to pick up that tasty french fry off of the ground, my girl could walk into a pole or even out into traffic. I'm expected to be aware of my surroundings and ignore them all at once. It used to be confusing. Now, it's just my job; a job that I love.

My job has let me do some pretty cool things. I get to go into malls, grocery stores, ride on trains/planes/buses. Anywhere my girl goes, I'm going too. I was even there when she carried the Olympic torch. How many dogs can say they got to help carry the Olympic torch?

As soon as my girl gets my harness off the hook by the door, I am right at her side. I won't let her go anywhere without me. She might get hit by a car if I don't go along. So, she can just put that notion out of her silly head that she's leaving me at home. My girl seems to think she makes the decisions, but it's really me. She may tell me where we're going, but dude, I'm the one who doesn't let her walk forward if there's a car coming. I'm the one who finds the door when it's time to turn in. What if I didn't want to go to the gym today? Did you ever think about that little missy?

I'm a working stiff and proud of it. Don't believe me?

watch this!
I am ready to go to work; boots and all! (Did she really have to put those on me? And the coat? Oh the shame!
*****
This is Glacier's entry for the
Mango Minster 2012
Working Stiff category.

My Girl Is A Flake: written by Glacier

Hi everyone!
Glacier here; again! Can you believe it? I got full control of this blog thingy for two whole days! I'm here today because, as my title states, my girl is a flake. No, really. Hers is. Let me tell ya bouts it and you can see fur yourself.
*****
A lot of people thinks that it's me, but really, it's my girl. Hers is always trying to do too many things at once and then bad things happen; flakey things. This is not a new thingy apparently. So, it can't be me.
Backs when my girl was but a wee thingy-I thinks hers was at this place called high school-hers went on a trip with hers choir. Hers and hers friend, my Aunt, was sharin' a room and my girl was gettin' dressed for the day. Hers was half asleep because, as always, had tried to do too many thingies at once and hers did not get enough sleep. Hers friend, my aunt, heard my girl throwin' stuffs around hers bottom bunk and mutterin' to hers self and my Aunt asks hers what's hers pawblem. My girl says that hers can't find hers socks. Hers had looked and looked, but they were nowhere to be found. No socks! Socks were needed for the day! My Aunt, being the bright girl hers is, hung over the edge of the bunk bed and told my girl that hers socks were in hers lap.
In hers lap! With all hers searching, hers didn't even notice hers socks sitting on her lap. Good thingies my aunt was there or else my girl would have cold feets!
My girl's socks are not the only victim of hers thinkings too much. When the Kyo came to lives with my girl and I, him was a bit of a difficult dog. I tried to tell my girl that we were fine, just the two of us, but hers kept sayin' that him just needed some training. The thingy that Kyo was the worst fur was rushing the door when it opened. We thinks it's because him thought people would leave him by hims self too much befores him came to live with us. One night, my girl prepared us fur "park" time. I always went out first because my girl said that I was there first and Kyo had to know that I was a special dog. Well, of course I'm a special dog...erm...ahem...
So, my girl takes me out and didn't even notice the 85 pound moose of a dog sneak past hers out into the night. Hers lost an 85 pound dog! How does one do that? It was probably close to twenty minutes befores hers realised her mistake and hers went runnin' down to see if Kyo was still around. Hers was worried because him was a rescued dog and hers thought him would run away, but Kyo was sitting on the front steps waitin' for hers to let him back in. Hers loses everything! Even 85 pound dogs!
Now, you see, such incidents are not a thingy of the past. Oh nonono. Like I saids, my girl tries to do way too  many thingies at once and hers is thinking bouts a million different thingies at once and then flakey stuffs happen. Take the other morning for example.
My girl likes the morning. Hers gets up early and hers routine goes: use the human park place, feed me and brother Roscoe, turn the coffee on whiles we eatin', gives us water and then we go to the dog parkin' spot. My girl was so distracted the other day with hers own thoughts that hers managed to takes us out in hers slippers. Yep. Down 43 stairs, out the front door, down the street and across the street. Hers didn't notice hers was wearin' the slippers until hers was half ways cross the road. When hers reached the other side, hers made me stand and  wait for the light again and then cross back over so hers could wear shoes to take me to park. How hers got outside and across the street in slippers I don't know. I tried to tell hers, but hers imagination was takin' hers away somewheres else.
There are so many ways that my girl is a flake and it all comes back to hers brain doing too many thinkings at once. Hers has run the coffee maker without filter or coffee; locked Roscoe and me out in the foyer because hers wasn't payin' attention and left us out there for almost an hour; hers was so deep in hers thinkings that when the mail person knocked on the door hers jumped so high, whacked her elbow off of the water filter thingy and broke the lid. No matter how long my girl  has been in the door, hers always loses her stuffs. Hers will put the gloves down hers has just been wearin' and then ask the Daddy wheres they went and it's only like twenty-six seconds later. I swears, hers would lose her head if it weren't attached, or worse! Hers would lose me! Then what would hers do? My girl wouldn't know where hers had left anything and hers wouldn't have me to guide hers down the road; a very unsafe combination.
So, do you see? my girl is a flake. Hers would be lost without me; quite literally. As my flakey girl's guide dog, I have to work twice as hard just to make sure hers remembers impawtant stuffs like where my treats are at. Fur reals; my girl is a flake!

Dear 2011

Dear 2011:
I cannot believe that you are already drawing to a close. So much has happened this year. So much so, that I have no idea where to begin. I think, besides the first year I made the Paralympic Games in 2000, or perhaps my first year of university in 2002, you have been one of the busiest, craziest years I have had. So many wonderful and amazing things have happened and for those I m grateful. There have been a few tenser moments, but I am just as grateful for those as well. The harder moments have taught me much about myself and have helped me grow. Looking back, I am still in awe at half of the things that happened and feel very blessed.
***
2011 In All Its Glory
1. In January of 2011, Mr. K and I lived in a house that was not ideal; not even close. The water shut off nearly every other day and was off for at least two to three days at a time. We started looking for a more suitable living arrangements even though we had intentions of moving to the UK as soon as possible. We had four dogs living with us: Glacier, Roscoe, Aria and Baloo.
2. In February we moved into a much better dwelling and Doc joined our ranks. It was then that I really started noticing problems with Glacier's working. This was also the month that solidified our plans to move to Scotland. Before Doc moved in, we had Roscoe, Glacier, Aria and Baloo Tider tested in order to begin the paperwork to bring everyone to the UK.
3. March was filled with puppies and their pooping issues. Dachshunds who were potty trained decided that they liked the carpet of the new house instead of going outside. We knew all three Dachshunds could not come with us, as we had originally bought Doc for Mr. K's sister, and the more we looked into it, the more we realised that we should re-home our little family members. It was a painful, and difficult decision. Glacier's guiding issues were becoming more apparent. I contacted Leader Dogs for the Blind in the hopes that they could help Glacier and I.
4.. In April, I headed home to Canada with Glacier and Baloo. Glacier and I were going back to Leader Dogs for the Blind for retraining and Baloo would be finding a new home with a high school friend; as long as they liked each other. It turns out, they fell in love almost right away and Baloo moved in with her just days after getting to my parents' house. Glacier and I worked hard for twelve days at LDB and left a much happier, confident working team.
5. May came quickly and I spent the majority of the month getting things in order for mine and Mr. K's wedding. I loved being home with my family, but I missed Mr. K terribly. May was also the fateful month that started making my triathlon dreams into a reality. Our wedding was fabulous and I couldn't have asked for a better day or husband, for that matter. May was also the month that saw Doc and Aria re-homed as well. It was difficult and parts of me still wishes that I could whisk them across an ocean to be with us.
6. June was a crazy month, attempting to finalize my passport and my Portuguese identity card. It was this card that would allow us to move to the UK without having to worry about Visas. I also found out that I could in fact get pregnant, but that it was not medically advisable.
7. Glacier and I returned to SC and sweated the month out,packing and planning to leave. We had vet appointments and we tried to sell, or at least, give away our belongings that we could not take with us. My parents visited for a while and helped us get a lot of things done in preparation for the move. The house felt so empty with only two dogs in it.
8. August snuck up on us and we worked feverishly to ensure that everything was set for our departure. We ran into a few glitches, such as the State vet saying that we may not be able to fly with our dogs because things were not documented correctly on our forms. We nearly watched seven months of planning go up in smoke. I worked to get as much of the house packed up as I could and some patient friends assisted with getting the rest of the stuff out once we had flown away. We ran into a small glitch in Boston when we tried to transfer flights and the guy assisting us through the airport didn't speak english. Then, on top of that, the airline didn't have record of our guide dogs, despite Mr. K speaking at least three times to them about it over the phone. After standing at the counter for almost an hour, we were cleared. Our flight was pretty good, considering we were flying so far and we had no issues once we entered London England. We spent a few days touring London and almost walked our feet off. We arrived in Edinburgh and stayed in Tenie and Carmen's flat, which they shared with two other girls. We stayed there until we could get things straightened out for our own flat. We did a few touristy things, like going to the zoo and a few festivals as well.
9. It was in September, after some waiting and assertive conversations, that we were able to move into our own flat. Tenie and Carmen had picked it out before we had even arrived, but it took nearly three weeks for us  to be able to move in. When we finally did move in, the hot water didn't work, but it was resolved. We spent the month settling in and getting to know our surrounding area.
10. It wasn't until October rolled around that I started feeling more comfortable with walking around on my own. Glacier and I experienced a huge regression in his guiding when we first arrived, which followed us basically through September. I worked hard with him, being consistent and resetting my mindset. I was to look at him as a working dog, not a pet. I knew that, but somehow in the move, I had lost that perspective. We celebrated Halloween dressed up in the Steam Punk fashion.
11. November was a great month for me. Triathlon training really started coming together with me finding a guide and receiving a whole lot of help from various sport minded organisations. Mr. K and I also brought Gus and Fiona home, our two little Sugar Glider joeys.
12. December was a  month for the Holidays and even though Mr. K and I didn't go home, we had a good month. We went to the Christmas market and had a great time experiencing the food, drinks and crazy crowds. Gus and Fiona joined us that day in their bonding pouch, but Glacier and Roscoe stayed home as we figured the crowds would be liable to crush them. We had a few dessert parties with the people living at Tenie and Carmen's flat and went out for drinks one night, sampling nearly every festive mixed drink they had on the menu. The night before the girls headed home for the Holidays, one of Tenie's flat mates had us over for a delicious dinner and we were able to say farewell to everyone. Mr. K and I spent Christmas together and it was enjoyable, despite our families being far away. Even though December was a joyous month, it also brought sadness when Gus passed away due to an unfortunate accident on Boxing Day.
As for today, December 31?
Mr. K and I will be going to pick up Yoda and Plato, two new Sugar Gliders, so that Fiona may have some playmates. Tonight, we may wander to a local pub and have a few celebratory drinks and talk about 2011 and maybe even of 2012 and what it will bring.
To everyone out there: Happy 2012. May it bring you joy and be everything you hope it to be. :)
Love,
Jess, Glacier, Roscoe, Fiona, Plato and Yoda

Friends for Fiona

Tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow we bring home Fiona's new brothers, Plato and Yoda. The boys are brothers and are a month "out of pouch" a month before Fiona. That's fancy Sugar Glider talk for, "they are a month older." Some of this Sugie jargon first threw me for a loop and sometimes I have to ask a million questions to understand, but I think I'm getting there. That sort of language is almost second nature for me when it comes to dogs, but there have always been dogs in my life and so I think that makes the difference. Sugar Gliders are a very new thing in this house.
I think the sooner we bring Yoda and Plato home the better. Fiona has been awfully confrontational and so it's been hard to give her the attention I know she needs. She will often lunge at our hands, crabbing very loudly, and if she can get a good hold she will bite. She was always a bit less bonded than Gus, but her biting was subsiding and she didn't lunge anymore. Ever since Gus passed away, she's regressed. However, Mr. K and I are as stubborn as she is and are not allowing her poor behavior to deter us.
Technically, when handling a Sugar Glider it is suggested that you do not wear gloves. Since the Gliders bond through scent, if you are wearing gloves it could be confusing. I've also noticed that the more bonded the Glider becomes the more willing they are to touch your skin. At first, both Fiona and Gus didn't want anything to do with our hands. They would run down my arms and stop at the cuff of my sleeve and pick an alternative route. Gus was at the point where he didn't mind hands and Fiona was getting there, but her biting has forced us to resort to wearing gloves.
Now, we don't wear the gloves if we are putting our hands in the cage to give her a treat or to play with her. She seems less likely to bite/lunge when she is able to approach you on her own. We do need her to be in the bonding pouch during the day though, as our body heat will help her and she needs to continue the bonding process, despite losing her brother; now probably more than ever. Mr. K wears the gloves to get her out of her sleeping place to put her in the bonding pouch. If he does not, she latches on and even drew blood.
I completely understand why she is acting this way. I don't blame her at all, but we can't let her be by herself. Sugar Gliders are such social creatures that too much time alone could be detrimental to Fiona's health. I carried her around in the bonding pouch yesterday; even when we left the house. She lunged at my stomach at one point through the pouch, but thankfully the thick fleece kept her little chompers away from my skin. She is so jumpy now. It makes me so sad that she is so out of sorts. I'm sure, at least in the beginning, bringing Yoda and Plato into the picture may throw her off a bit more, but in the long run it will be good for her.
We will be busting out the tent again and setting it up in the living room to facilitate bonding with all three Gliders. It's also better to introduce joeys, or even grown Gliders, in neutral territory and so we think the tent will be a good place. I've read of a few different ways to introduce your Sugar Gliders, but since all three are still joeys we shouldn't have too many problems. One article suggested placing a small drop of vanilla extract between the shoulder blades of each Sugar Glider. They like the vanilla and that way they all smell the same. It also will encourage them to start grooming each other; a sign that they have accepted one another. I know this technique is often used to encourage mama animals to take on orphaned babies. I may use this technique as a precaution.
When we first brought Gus and Fiona home I remember being nervous and this time around, I'm a bit nervous as well; for totally different reasons though. We know what to expect with regards to owning Sugar Gliders, whereas, when we picked up Gus and Fiona we were clueless. That nervousness is way laid. I am a bit worried though as to how Fiona, Yoda and Plato will all take to one another. I'm also concerned that we won't know the difference between Yoda and Plato. We could tell the difference between Fiona and Gus because she is smaller and they moved differently, but Plato and Yoda are both boys, will there be physical indicators we will be able to pick up as blind people? Realistically, I'm sure eventually we will. Mr. K and I can usually tell the difference between Glacier and Roscoe most times without touching them because they move differently, make different noises and Glacier is bigger. So, I'm sure there is nothing to worry about. What I really should do is change my perspective: this is exciting. We are bringing new babies home and Fiona will be a happy little girl.
Speaking of happy little girls: Fiona would like to remind you that a very big event will be taking place in Blogville. She, Yoda and Plato will be there and she hopes you will be too. She would like me to tell you that she's not called a "Sugar" glider or "honey" bear for nothing. She says that "sugars" and "honeys" are very impawtant to this event. ;)
With that, I will leave you for today.
Happy Friday everyone. :)

Finding Joy

It's funny how the smallest things are what bring the most joy. I've written about it before and probably will again. A package arrived from my parents yesterday and it brought joy, but not for the reasons you would think.
The package had a few items for Mr. K and I-ornaments I used to hang on my parents' Christmas tree; a new  Tinker Bell  ornament; my kitchen rooster (it is Portuguese tradition to have a rooster in your kitchen. Apparently it brings good luck); a singing Snowman that goes in the bathroom and harasses your guests while they are doing their business Etc. I loved every single gift, including the small Christmas house that plays music that Santa, elves and a train move to, but the funny thing is that the towels wrapped around everything made me the happiest.
Towels are a great gift. I mean, everyone could always use more bath towels, but it wasn't their functionality that made me happy. When I pulled the towels out of the box, careful not to drop any of the breakable items wrapped in them, I caught a familiar scent. I pressed the towel up to my nose and breathed in deeply. Not all of the gifts in the world could top the aroma of your childhood home. Sounds a bit silly, but breathing in the fire smoke that helps heat my parents' house made me a bit giddy. There is not another house that smells like my parents' home; at least, not one that I've found. Being on a completely different continent and being apart from my family for the Holidays for the first time, smelling those towels made me feel so much better. It's so funny because now I don't want to use them or wash them because they will lose that smell.
It's not easy being so far from home during the Holidays, but the smallest-or smelliest-of gestures brings so much happiness.

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On a somewhat unrelated note, I wanted to let everyone know that I will be making an announcement soon about an event I, and other members of the blogging community, will be hosting in order to, hopefully, bring joy to someone else's life. I will definitely be needing help in order to make the event a success. This particular person is a truly impressive individual and I hope that we will be able to assist her. She gives herself so fully to others and I hope that we can give back to her in the name of thanks for what she does. It should be a really fun event. So, stay tuned for details. :)

Rally Thoughts

When I was reading another blog just the other day, my thoughts were brought back to rally obedience. I had taken a class when I lived in SC and had thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun for both Glacier and I and I think it would be something to get into again one day. The operative words are "one day." A few things need to change in order for me to do rally obedience training and perhaps some fun competitions.
First, I need a dog to do it with. Glacier is such a sensitive guy and needs structure to be able to work at his best. Asking him to also do rally obedience is confusing for him and is detrimental to our working relationship. We also cannot have pet dogs where we are living right now and that is why we have invested so much into our Sugar Gliders. Even if we could have dogs I'm not sure I'd want another one in this flat. I love this flat. Its location is fabulous and it's actually quite cute and has a lot of character, but there is no way we'd be able to fit a third big dog in here comfortably. I try to pretend that we could, but really, it would make things squishy. Sure we could fit a small dog like a miniature Dachshund, but they are known for their big barks and our neighbors would not be impressed. This building is old and not very well sound proofed. So, I'd have to get a dog.
Second, we'd have to be living somewhere else or perhaps I'd have to have a venue to practice in. This problem is a bit less of a concern since there are plenty of parks around us where I could practice, but the weather is unpredictable in Scotland and I'd need an alternative indoor practice area. If we had a bigger flat, or house, with a "garden" (AKA yard), that would be ideal.
If I am being realistic, I probably wouldn't have the time to dedicate to rally obedience properly in the upcoming year anyway. I've applied to the University of Edinburgh for Performance Psychology and if I get in, rally obedience on top of studying, classes and training for a triathlon might be a bit much.
With all of this in mind, I had a bit of a brain storm last night as I took the boys out for the last "park" of the night. Why not train Roscoe? Not right now, but Mr. K and I are pretty certain he will retire himself young, sort of the way Jetta did, and if that is the case he will still be young enough to enjoy something like that. He loves to please and even though he may choose not to guide anymore, I think he would be happy to have a fun job. I asked Mr. K last night when I got back inside and he agreed. That made me pretty excited.
By the time Roscoe retires, I'll be done with school and hopefully working. I'll probably still be training for the triathlon, but I'll be a more established athlete and it won't take up as much of my time as it does now. Besides training, I spend a lot of time researching the sport, social networking and many other things. Being blind means that I have to learn about the sport by either doing it or reading about it. So, I've been doing both. With this learning process out of the way, it would open things up for me to do something as a hobby that would be relaxing and fun. Not that I'm saying that I want Roscoe to retire early just so I can train him in rally obedience. In fact, if he works until he's old enough to be satisfied just being a couch potato, that will make me very happy. However, if he retires as young as Jetta did-seven and a half-we better find something else for him to do.
Life has a funny way of working itself out though and I'll read back on this post one day and probably have to remove my foot from my mouth. Roscoe will decide to work until he's an old man and I'll have to actually find a dog to work with. Either that or Glacier will retire early and he'll go back to rally obedience. That said, the guide dog trainer made a comment to Mr. K when he watched them work that he thinks that Roscoe will retire himself young.
Roscoe loves to work; that is, after you get the harness on. He reminds me of Jetta in that sense. He backs away from the body part going over his head, just like Jetta. He takes off like a shot once you lift the handle off his back and does a fabulous job, but when he's mad about where you're asking him to work, you know about it; again, just like Jetta. He also has become more "sniffy" as he's gotten older; just that little bit more distracted. Jetta didn't necessarily use her nose more, but she definitely became more and more distracted as she lost interest in guiding. The funny thing is, even though it was difficult retiring Jetta at such a young age, I felt so much better knowing she decided for herself. I almost wish this would be the case for Mr. K because that would save him the anguish of making the decision to hang up Roscoe's harness. I saw so many other guide dog owners retire their dogs, dogs who had worked for eight or nine years, and they eventually had to choose for the dog. I was lucky that I was saved that difficult decision, but this time around, I think I won't be spared. Glacier would probably work until his paws didn't work anymore. Of course I wouldn't let it get to that. He's such a good boy and deserves a great retirement. For Glacier, at least, I think retirement is a good few years off, but we'll see what Roscoe decides in two or three years. That's another reason to get that fenced in garden.
If Roscoe retires early, we'll have one working dog and one not. Mr. K hasn't decided whether he is getting another dog after Roscoe and I think he may make that choice long after Roscoe retires. When Glacier retires, I most certainly will be getting another dog. I feel safer traveling with a dog for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because I can't see at all and because I am basically deaf in my right ear. The dog acts as a safety net for me. That means, we'll have three big dogs at once, unless Mr. K gets a dog and that will make four. I really don't want to re-home Glacier and Roscoe if I can help it. The two of them will have to stay together; especially since they have been together from day one. Separating them would be very cruel. Also, if they retire at different times, what do we do? Hold on to the one who retired for a few more years until the other is ready to stop working and then re-home them? That also seems cruel. I think our best bet would be to find a flat with a limited amount of stairs-so that it will be gentle on two aging dogs' hips-with a fenced in yard. That way, we could keep both boys and I could also have my new working dog. Besides, if we give Roscoe and Glacier up, who will I rally obedience train?
Wow. This post really digressed. My whole point was to talk about my excitement to train Roscoe in rally obedience, but I guess all of the factors of life had to be considered. Whatever may happen, I hope we have a few years still to get things in order so that we can keep our boys and Roscoe and I can be rally obedience buddies.

Moving Forward

Today I feel a lot better; much better. The kind and thoughtful comments left by you have made losing Gus so much easier. Gus and Fiona's breeder has actually been fantastic and incredibly supportive, understanding and kind. She has a waiting list for her joeys, but she has put us in touch with another breeder that is actually closer to home. This new breeder has two sets of joeys ready to go and another just "out of pouch." We could technically wait for the two just out of pouch because they would be in a better stage to bond, but I don't think we can wait that long for Miss Fiona's sake. Those joeys won't be ready to go to a home until February or so and that is much too long for a Sugar Glider to be alone
Fiona seems a bit lost, but Mr. K and I are making sure to play with her and we both took our turns carrying her around in the bonding pouch yesterday in order to give her a warm body to be near. I also make sure that her Snuggle Safe pad is always warm and tucked up under one of Mr. K's shirts in her cage. That way, if she is feelin she needs some warmth, it is there. This might be a bit easier if she was a bit more bonded because we would be able to have her out of the cage perched in a pocket even when she's awake, but she is not quite there yet. She did come out and run in her Wodent wheel quite a bit last night; she ate her food and took treats; and played with us and  the feather toy we got for her and Gus. We're trying our best to keep her occupied and give her the interaction she needs to be a happy, healthy little Glider, but I think a fuzzy companion is going to be necessary in the long term.
We are supposed to get a phone call from the new breeder later today and then we'll go from there. It would seem that the tent is going to be put back up in our living room and we'll start this process all over again. However, that may not necessarily be a bad thing for Fiona. I think she could use a bit more time in the tent. Because the tent is so small, she is forced to interact with us and I am sure that will help her bond further. I am not sure how many "brothers" Fiona will end up with as Sugar Glider breeders prefer to sell the joeys in pairs since Sugar Gliders are so social. Our cage is definitely big enough for three Sugies as it is taller than Mr. K and wider. Sugies also do not seem to react poorly to having odd numbers as some other animals might. The breeder only has males available so we will have to ensure both are neutered very quickly. They are a bit older than Gus and Fiona and so will reach sexual maturity much faster and that will cause two problems:
1. They may fight as there is only one female,
and 2. Fiona may become a Mom. No thanks. :)
So even though the last 24 hours have been quite tough, and I still get a bit teary from time to time, we are doing much better. Getting Fiona a new companion will make me feel much better as well because that will provide her with the stimulation and companionship that she needs.
Again, thanks all of you so much for your comments and virtual hugs: they mean so much to Mr. K and I.

Good-bye Gus

I know to some he would be considered just an animal. I know some wouldn't understand how a human would grieve for an animal, but he wasn't just an animal to us; especially not to Mr. K. Gus was Mr. K's little buddy. Mr. K worked so hard to get to know Gus, to teach him to trust Mr. K. How is it that one minute, he is running around the living room, chasing Fiona through the Christmas tree, and the next, somehow, he is gone? How is it that we missed him leaving? We still don't even know how he got out into the bathroom. We read all of the warnings; we knew. I was usually so attentive to make sure the toilet lid was down, but for some reason, this morning I didn't check.

Gus left us this morning some time around 7 AM. He died in one of the ways we were warned a million times about; he drowned in our toilet. Thinking about it makes me sick. When one is charged with the responsibility of another's life, it is difficult to accept that you have failed as a care giver; that you have failed to keep him safe. It happened so fast and all of the "what if's" keep running through my mind. I feel responsible because I suggested letting Gus and Fiona out to roam the living room this morning. I feel awful knowing that his breeder entrusted his little life to us and Gus is gone. I feel horrible. I think some of the grief I feel towards his death may have to do with giving up our Dachshunds seven or so months back. I never really grieved re-homing them. Some of the grief comes from knowing that Mr. K is hurting. and some of it comes from knowing that our little Gus is gone.

My heart hurts, but it hurts more for Mr. K and Fiona than for me. How do you explain to someone that you hurt for them; that you grieve for them? Gus was Mr. K's and it hurts me that someone that I love is so sad.

I feel horrible for Fiona because she is alone now. She doesn't understand, and part of me is glad she doesn't. Thinking about how Gus died brings tears to my eyes. Sugar Gliders are colony animals: how is Fiona going to do on her own? We could get another Sugar Glider I suppose, but right now I feel like I don't deserve another one. I feel like I don't deserve Fiona. I think Gus's death is so hard to handle because it was so unexpected and because usually we're so careful-it just takes a second and everything can change.

Never in my life have I wished I could turn back time; not until now. This is so hard to take because   it could have been prevented. The tears just won't stop coming; tears for me, tears for Gus, tears for Fiona and tears for Mr. K. Even though we only had Gus for a month, he touched our lives and taught us great lessons in patience, persistence and love.

Rest in peace Gus and I am so, so  sorry.

A Festive Feeling

With Mr. K and I remaining in the UK for Christmas by ourselves, I have been attempting to keep the festive feeling alive. Christmas has always been about traditions for me, but I suppose it is time to make some new ones.
Last night Mr. K and I sat down to build a gingerbread house. This was something we did the first year we started dating. I thought it would be a fun way to walk down memory lane, while being festive. Tenie had picked up the kit for us before she left and even though I thought the package appeared a bit flat, or void of stuff, when she handed it to me, I just assumed gingerbread house kits were different here. Weren't we surprised when I busted the plastic off and all there was inside were the cookie pieces. Mr. K and I had a good laugh and had dessert. We have plenty of house left and have been slowly munching on walls, windows, roofs and chimneys.
For me, music has always been a huge part of my life. I used to perform when I was really young and miss singing in that capacity. Around Christmas time, I am always humming a Christmas tune or blaring it out of some kind of speaker. Last night, while we were in the tent with Fiona and Gus, we played Christmas carols on my Iphone for entertainment.
The selecting and giving of gifts always gives me great pleasure at this time of year as well. I have finished all of my Christmas shopping, finishing it off this afternoon with Glacier and Roscoe's present. I have wrapped some presents already, but the rest of them will wait for when Mr. K and I wrap our gifts for one another in front of each other.
Along the same line of gift giving, Mr. K and I thought it would be nice to make little gift bags for the other flats in our building. I picked up Christmas themed gift bags on an outing with Carmen and spent a good part of last night making Cinnamon Apple foot soaks and T-tree, olive and peppermint oil hand  soap. Mr. K added red flowers to the surface of each bar to make them a bit more festive. The soaps need to sit and solidify, so I spent part of this morning wrapping them in Christmas paper and adding ribbon as a finishing touch. Tomorrow Mr. K and I are going to make peanut butter fudge, which is a tradition in his family, and add that to the bags as well. We've already written up a list of ingredients that will go in each bag just in case people have allergies.
Gifts for us have been arriving as well. My parents bought gifts online and had them shipped directly to us. Most of them have been gift wrapped, but I've had to wrap up two already and stuck them under the tree. A box from Mr. K's mom also arrived today, filled with goodies that we can't purchase over here, such as Ranch salad dressing and my favourite Cinnamint lip gloss. It's these small things that makes having to be apart from our families for Christmas that much more tolerable.
Christmas Eve is only four days away and even though this Holiday season is going to be very different for both Mr. K and I, we will keep doing little things to stay in the festive spirit, with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer needing to be watched and a few other Christmas classics. Not to mention, we are not completely alone; we have Glacier, Roscoe, Gus and Fiona all to keep us company and entertain us on Christmas morning. :)