If you are ever bored, why not drop by for an afternoon? Hermione will keep you entertained for the whole day. Well, that is until she wears herself out and finally takes a nap. She is currently curled up beside me taking sed nap, but earlier today and last night that certainly wasn't the case.
Last night was our final night with my parents visiting. I thoroughly enjoyed having them here for seventeen days and found that it went much too quickly. We spent our final evening at a local restaurant that Mr. K and I really like eating and talking until we realised that we should head home so my parents could finish packing. Upon arriving home the dogs were all super excited to see us as is normal in our home. I have been fighting a cold and so my dad helped me take everyone out for the final bathroom break of the night. Since Hermione slept the whole time we were gone, she was a complete nut when we got back inside after relieving.
She was running around, wagging her tail and squeaking Roscoe's squirrel he got for Christmas. She was also demanding that someone throw the squirrel for her, or her bear or her tug toy; it just depended on what toy she brought back to you.
I'm not sure if I've ever told you, but Hermione would have a drinking problem if she were a human, or at least had thumbs and could open beer bottles for herself. I'm not sure why since neither Mr. K or I are big drinkers, but whenever someone has a beer, and apparently other alcoholic beverages, she's all about what's in the bottle, can or cup. Last night my dad poured me a small amount of porte into a plastic cup. He said it was to "burn the sickness out." I wasn't convinced, but I started slowly sipping on it anyway since I know hot toddies definitely work. As I was perusing the internet, taking my time with my Porte Miss Diva Queen must have noticed the plastic cup on the coffee table because the next thing I knew porte was flowing over the edge of the table and the little weasel was licking it up. Of course we cleaned it up quickly and stopped her indulgence, but none of us could stop laughing. But that wasn't the end of it: it never is with her.
This afternoon I poured myself a giant glass of water and set it on the coffee table. Hermione's been all out of sorts all day; probably with the change of the population in the flat. I think she had become used to my parents hanging around. So, she had been running herself ragged all day. She usually has a nap around noon, but not today. Death shaking squirrel, tug toy and attempting to shred a magazine was much more important.
Even though she was being a nut and she had knocked over a cup the night before, I thought nothing of the glass of water on the coffee table. I figured she had gone after the cup the previous night because it was flimsy and easy to knock over and also contained an alcoholic beverage. Apparently none of these things were factors for her, either that or she learned that knocking over things was fun, because she tipped my glass of water over and started slurping up the dripping mess. There was so much water that it splashed on to the couch and created puddles on the lower shelves of the coffee table and on the floor. I'm not even sure how she knocked it over. Maybe she used her nose, but more likely she pushed it with her front paws. I think her nose wouldn't be enough to tip over that much weight. Either way, there was water everywhere. This time though, there was more mess and Otis thought he'd join in cleaning it up.
At first I was irritated, but then I laughed. It was just water and it just meant I was mopping up the floor.
I don't know what gets into her head sometimes, but she very obviously is plotting. Not only that, she's incredibly persistent. My parents had to close their door last night while packing because she kept going in and stealing my dad's leather gloves out of his suitcase and racing off with them.
As I've said before, she's a complete nut, but I wouldn't trade her in for anything. Life would be much too boring. ;)
Showing posts with label Yum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yum. Show all posts
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Merry Christmas 2012
Merry Christmas, everyone!
I can't believe how quickly this past year has flown. I think I've said THAT for the last four years really.
Christmas was nice this year with my parents flying over to spend time with Mr. K, me and the dogs. We had a wonderful meal cooked by my parents consisting of turkey, SALMON, salad, mashed potatoes, dressing and chocolate cake for dessert. I was so full after supper was over, I could hardly move; exactly THE way Christmas dinner should be. MOM AND I HAD ALSO ATTEMPTED A TRADITIONAL BRITISH DESSERT RECIPE EARLIER IN THE WEEK CALLED MINCE PIES WHICH ACTUALLY TURNED OUT QUITE WELL. THERE AREN'T MANY LEFT OF THOSE.
Our day started with my mom making French toast, bacon and cinnamon coffee. I'm a huge fan of flavored coffees and finding them this side of the pond has been difficult. When we visited the German Christmas market on Sunday evening, we came across a vendor that sold a variety of flavored coffees and I made off with a package of Irish Cream and Cinnamon. I was really torn as there were so many choices, some of which included Blueberry Muffin and Chocolate, but I settled on the two aforementioned flavors. Mom and Dad also brought two big bags of Hazelnut coffee with them and we've been enjoying that as well. We may have also enjoyed a little Bailey's in that coffee as well this morning.
After breakfast it was gift opening time for everyone. I got a pair of "feety" PJ's (I love the silly things), a casual dress, Body Shop products and a tea set with Cavalier King Charles Spaniels on it. Winter boots and coat, new walking shoes and a hoodie were also gifts I got earlier. I was a very lucky girl this Christmas season.
Tenie and Lindsay didn't forget about us either and sent gifts with my parents for us. Mr. K got a Lego Star Wars tree ornament and I got a Tim Horton's coffee mug ornament. If you're Canadian you'll understand my ornament. If you're not, look up Tim Horton's or "Timmy's" as we Canadians like to call it and you'll understand. :) The girls also sent over a singing card that played "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" with a Dachshund on the front. For those of you WHO don't know, Lindsay adopted Baloo, one of our Dachshunds, when we moved over here and so the card was defiNITELY fitting. They put some cash in the card so that Mr. K and I could go out to dinner together. All very thoughtful and sweet gifts.
The dogs weren't forgotten either. Hermione got her Kong Wobbah, Otis his elk antler chew and Roscoe his squeaking squirrel. I also made a batch of banana and honey treats and some sweet potato chews. Everyone seemed happy with their presents. Hermione has gone crazy death shaking her replacement toy-the last one had to be thrown out due to over use-Roscoe walked around happily wagging his tail and softly squeaking the squirrel and Otis made off into a corner to be alone so that he could chew his antler.
Once presents were opened, mom started on getting the turkey into the oven and then she and I took all three dogs for a good long off leash run. It's done nothing but rain the last week or so and it was nice to have the sun poking out today. We returned hOME nearly two hours later with three very tired dogs. Hermione was so muddy that I spent nearly ten minutes wiping her down once we got home. Her feathers are so long and SHE is so low to the ground that the mud just clings to her. Roscoe needed toweling off as well as he decided that prancing through mud puddles and splashing about in little pools was a good idea, but he wasn't nearly as difficult to clean as miss princess butt.
We finished the evening off by calling various family members. We even got to talk to Mr. K's family via Skype. I can't say how fantastic Skype has been for us since moving so far away from our families. It was great to see everyone laughing and all of our nieces and nephew got to see us and the dogs too.
So, with a full belly and heart I am writing this out; sitting snugly in my bed in my feety pajamas. NO JUDGING! TRY THEM ONCE AND YOU WILL NEVER GO BACK. Roscoe is asleep on my feet and Otis is on my lap. Hermione took herself to bed. She actually likes sleeping in her own crate at night and will voluntarily go in. I think she needs some alone time sometimes and that is where she gets it. So, from my snug, sleepy self to you: Merry Christmas! Hoping that you had a wonderful day.
XOXO
I can't believe how quickly this past year has flown. I think I've said THAT for the last four years really.
Christmas was nice this year with my parents flying over to spend time with Mr. K, me and the dogs. We had a wonderful meal cooked by my parents consisting of turkey, SALMON, salad, mashed potatoes, dressing and chocolate cake for dessert. I was so full after supper was over, I could hardly move; exactly THE way Christmas dinner should be. MOM AND I HAD ALSO ATTEMPTED A TRADITIONAL BRITISH DESSERT RECIPE EARLIER IN THE WEEK CALLED MINCE PIES WHICH ACTUALLY TURNED OUT QUITE WELL. THERE AREN'T MANY LEFT OF THOSE.
Our day started with my mom making French toast, bacon and cinnamon coffee. I'm a huge fan of flavored coffees and finding them this side of the pond has been difficult. When we visited the German Christmas market on Sunday evening, we came across a vendor that sold a variety of flavored coffees and I made off with a package of Irish Cream and Cinnamon. I was really torn as there were so many choices, some of which included Blueberry Muffin and Chocolate, but I settled on the two aforementioned flavors. Mom and Dad also brought two big bags of Hazelnut coffee with them and we've been enjoying that as well. We may have also enjoyed a little Bailey's in that coffee as well this morning.
After breakfast it was gift opening time for everyone. I got a pair of "feety" PJ's (I love the silly things), a casual dress, Body Shop products and a tea set with Cavalier King Charles Spaniels on it. Winter boots and coat, new walking shoes and a hoodie were also gifts I got earlier. I was a very lucky girl this Christmas season.
Tenie and Lindsay didn't forget about us either and sent gifts with my parents for us. Mr. K got a Lego Star Wars tree ornament and I got a Tim Horton's coffee mug ornament. If you're Canadian you'll understand my ornament. If you're not, look up Tim Horton's or "Timmy's" as we Canadians like to call it and you'll understand. :) The girls also sent over a singing card that played "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" with a Dachshund on the front. For those of you WHO don't know, Lindsay adopted Baloo, one of our Dachshunds, when we moved over here and so the card was defiNITELY fitting. They put some cash in the card so that Mr. K and I could go out to dinner together. All very thoughtful and sweet gifts.
The dogs weren't forgotten either. Hermione got her Kong Wobbah, Otis his elk antler chew and Roscoe his squeaking squirrel. I also made a batch of banana and honey treats and some sweet potato chews. Everyone seemed happy with their presents. Hermione has gone crazy death shaking her replacement toy-the last one had to be thrown out due to over use-Roscoe walked around happily wagging his tail and softly squeaking the squirrel and Otis made off into a corner to be alone so that he could chew his antler.
Once presents were opened, mom started on getting the turkey into the oven and then she and I took all three dogs for a good long off leash run. It's done nothing but rain the last week or so and it was nice to have the sun poking out today. We returned hOME nearly two hours later with three very tired dogs. Hermione was so muddy that I spent nearly ten minutes wiping her down once we got home. Her feathers are so long and SHE is so low to the ground that the mud just clings to her. Roscoe needed toweling off as well as he decided that prancing through mud puddles and splashing about in little pools was a good idea, but he wasn't nearly as difficult to clean as miss princess butt.
We finished the evening off by calling various family members. We even got to talk to Mr. K's family via Skype. I can't say how fantastic Skype has been for us since moving so far away from our families. It was great to see everyone laughing and all of our nieces and nephew got to see us and the dogs too.
So, with a full belly and heart I am writing this out; sitting snugly in my bed in my feety pajamas. NO JUDGING! TRY THEM ONCE AND YOU WILL NEVER GO BACK. Roscoe is asleep on my feet and Otis is on my lap. Hermione took herself to bed. She actually likes sleeping in her own crate at night and will voluntarily go in. I think she needs some alone time sometimes and that is where she gets it. So, from my snug, sleepy self to you: Merry Christmas! Hoping that you had a wonderful day.
XOXO
Sunday, November 04, 2012
Of Course It's About Dogs
Today's post will definitely give you your fix if you're craving doggie news. It seems like my life the past couple of days has been entirely doggie centred. No different from most days I suppose, but yesterday was an extra dose of dog.
First thing's first, I said I'd bake cookies for a Guide Dogs fundraiser that was to be held on Saturday-AKA, yesterday. I thought I'd bake the treats in the morning in order to ensure freshness, but both batches were a bust. My Garlic, Cheddar Chicken bites didn't bake long enough and then my Pumpkin Peanut Butter cookies baked too long. That'll teach me to try to multi-task while baking for an event.
Despite my baking fiasco, I was ready to be picked up by 11.45 to head to the venue. I spent an afternoon at a working dog show, attempting to raise funds and awareness for Guide Dogs UK. The event was quite interesting as I've never been to a dog show before and I certainly got my fill of various breeds of dogs. Of course I was working very hard fundraising, but part of fundraising is chatting with people right?
...and petting their dogs...right?
I saw some of the coolest breeds, including a Mastiff who weighed 240 pounds. That dog was a stinking pony! He was beautiful though. I also got to pet one of those dogs who look like they have dredlocks. I can't remember what they are called...some kind of Afghan something or other. I asked how long it took to bathe one of them and was told that it can take anywhere from two to three hours.
Yikes!
There was also a lot of beautiful Border Collies, Huskies, Great Danes and Newfoundlanders that I just had to pet. Oh, and I can't forget the champion Pyrinese I got to pet. She was beautiful.
We did manage to raise some money, but I think most importantly Guide Dogs was recognised as being out in the community and was maybe given some publicity. I also think it's good to put faces behind the organisation and there were at least three guide dog owners there with their dogs. I was there too, but certainly minus a guide dog. I was impressed by all of the dogs' behavior considering how many strange dogs were about, sniffing/barking/peeing on things. The three workers did their jobs and for the most part, kept their noses to themselves. A few of the puppies in training were a bit more excitable, but that's to be expected.
It was interesting for me to see each dog/handler team and the various breeds. Not one of those dogs were the same. There was a female Golden Retriever German Shepherd cross. Apparently Guide Dogs has had a lot of success recently with this mix of breeds. She was lovely. There was another female, but she was a Golden Retriever Lab cross. She was adorable with gigantic front paws. I've seen a few of those at LDB and they all seemed to be great workers. Then there was a male Flat Coated Retriever. I had never seen that breed before so it was a treat to pet him.
My guide dog trainer, and dude who is currently looking for my replacement dog, was my eyes for most of the afternoon. He was also my driver and we got to talking. Apparently, a week or so ago a potential dog came up for me, but only three days after my trainer heard about him, it was discovered that the dog has skin allergies. He's being tested to see what exactly he's allergic to, but it would seem that I will miss out on this one. The trainer sounded disappointed. I asked him if it were a food allergy and he said they weren't sure yet. I feel as though that if it were a good match and it was only food related, that I could deal with it. It's nothing to have a dog on a good diet and I don't mind cleaning ears frequently. I clean my dogs' ears about once a week now.
The trainer is always hesitant to give out dogs that have these conditions for a few reasons. First, a person who has been waiting for a long time may think that he/she can take on a dog with that sort of issue and will say yes, only to discover later that he/she really can't handle it. Then, everyone feels guilty/bad and the person just ends up on the waiting list again.
Second, it's hard to tell how an allergy, or something of that nature, will progress. If we can control it with food now, will it stay that way for all of its life or will it become worse and worse?
Roscoe has food allergies and we control it by feeding him a fish based food, or raw feeding, and treats that I've made. Anything else and it flares up. However, I can see where the trainer is coming from and he is the expert. Fingers crossed that someone else comes up soon or that it is discovered that this guy's allergies aren't that bad and that diet can fix it.
That said, if it were discovered that his allergies could be controlled by diet, it doesn't mean I'll like him. Here in the UK, we get to meet our potential dogs first and decide whether or not we think he/she will work for us. If we think so the dog goes away for six weeks to complete his/her formal training and then we go into training with him/her. I very much appreciate that I get to be a part of the selection process. I just have to make sure that when the time comes for me to choose, I attempt to be as objective as possible.
So that's where that stands.
Mr. G has also sent an update as to his busy life as "Archio dog." It would seem that he is working in the archaeology field with his new dad and mom and being very helpful when it comes to digging; maybe a bit too helpful in some spots. His jaws of steel have also worked their magic and he has managed to destroy a hard hat...a hard hat! You know, the things that are supposed to protect your heads if machinery fall on them? Either that hard hat sucked or Glacier's got some impressive chompers. My vote lies in the latter.
As for the crew that we have now: Otis is growing like a weed. He turned four months old today and despite several growth spurts he's still quite small. That said, it's surprising how heavy he actually is. With how cold it's been out he has needed a sweater to do his business outside. We felt a bit ridiculous getting a sweater for a Bulldog, but Otis is now the proud, or not so proud, owner of a "Build a Bear" skull and cross bone hoodie. He looks damn cute in it. It was cheaper to buy him a hoodie from the children's store than to get him a dog sweater. Once he grows out of this hoodie we'll have to buy him a dog specific coat, but for now, he will keep wearing his Build a Bear hoodie. So cute!
And what about the other two?
Let's just say Roscoe has been nicknamed "Ranger Roscoe" and Hermione has been deemed "Hermione, the great Huntress." Whenever I go for evening walks, I always take both Roscoe and Hermione. It's kind of dark down on the cycling path and I feel safer having the bigger presence of Roscoe roaming with us. This evening I took the two out for an off leash run and both dogs assumed their respective roles.
Roscoe was off scouting through the under brush and popping out to check on me while Hermione was off holding perfect points at birds, squirrels and bugs. We stopped to talk to a woman who has a JRT named Florence, who was shocked to see Hermione point at a fleeing squirrel. She may be a toy breed, but her hunting instincts are still there.
Otis isn't quite big enough to accompany us on our longer walks, so we haven't determined his sudo personality yet, but if I were to call him anything right now it would be:
"sleepy, lazy Otis."
He definitely lives up to his Bulldog breed description.
As for Hermione the Great Huntress, she didn't catch anything. Probably because she was wearing her bear bell so that I knew what she was up to. Ranger Roscoe didn't seem to think there was anything threatening in the under brush. We have seen foxes in that general area and so I get a bit nervous walking later in the evening, but there are way less people you have to navigate at those times. As everyone knows, I am probably one of the worst cane users in the world. That not only applies to university campuses, city streets and shopping centres, but also to bike paths. So, our walk was quite relaxed and uneventful; despite the fireworks going off in close proximity. Neither Roscoe or Hermione were bothered by the loud bangs or bright lights. I'm not surprised by Roscoe's lack of reaction, but that seemed odd for Hermione. She's a nut about everything. Maybe she felt safe with Ranger Roscoe at her side. ;)
So, was that enough "doggie dish" for you?
First thing's first, I said I'd bake cookies for a Guide Dogs fundraiser that was to be held on Saturday-AKA, yesterday. I thought I'd bake the treats in the morning in order to ensure freshness, but both batches were a bust. My Garlic, Cheddar Chicken bites didn't bake long enough and then my Pumpkin Peanut Butter cookies baked too long. That'll teach me to try to multi-task while baking for an event.
Despite my baking fiasco, I was ready to be picked up by 11.45 to head to the venue. I spent an afternoon at a working dog show, attempting to raise funds and awareness for Guide Dogs UK. The event was quite interesting as I've never been to a dog show before and I certainly got my fill of various breeds of dogs. Of course I was working very hard fundraising, but part of fundraising is chatting with people right?
...and petting their dogs...right?
I saw some of the coolest breeds, including a Mastiff who weighed 240 pounds. That dog was a stinking pony! He was beautiful though. I also got to pet one of those dogs who look like they have dredlocks. I can't remember what they are called...some kind of Afghan something or other. I asked how long it took to bathe one of them and was told that it can take anywhere from two to three hours.
Yikes!
There was also a lot of beautiful Border Collies, Huskies, Great Danes and Newfoundlanders that I just had to pet. Oh, and I can't forget the champion Pyrinese I got to pet. She was beautiful.
We did manage to raise some money, but I think most importantly Guide Dogs was recognised as being out in the community and was maybe given some publicity. I also think it's good to put faces behind the organisation and there were at least three guide dog owners there with their dogs. I was there too, but certainly minus a guide dog. I was impressed by all of the dogs' behavior considering how many strange dogs were about, sniffing/barking/peeing on things. The three workers did their jobs and for the most part, kept their noses to themselves. A few of the puppies in training were a bit more excitable, but that's to be expected.
It was interesting for me to see each dog/handler team and the various breeds. Not one of those dogs were the same. There was a female Golden Retriever German Shepherd cross. Apparently Guide Dogs has had a lot of success recently with this mix of breeds. She was lovely. There was another female, but she was a Golden Retriever Lab cross. She was adorable with gigantic front paws. I've seen a few of those at LDB and they all seemed to be great workers. Then there was a male Flat Coated Retriever. I had never seen that breed before so it was a treat to pet him.
My guide dog trainer, and dude who is currently looking for my replacement dog, was my eyes for most of the afternoon. He was also my driver and we got to talking. Apparently, a week or so ago a potential dog came up for me, but only three days after my trainer heard about him, it was discovered that the dog has skin allergies. He's being tested to see what exactly he's allergic to, but it would seem that I will miss out on this one. The trainer sounded disappointed. I asked him if it were a food allergy and he said they weren't sure yet. I feel as though that if it were a good match and it was only food related, that I could deal with it. It's nothing to have a dog on a good diet and I don't mind cleaning ears frequently. I clean my dogs' ears about once a week now.
The trainer is always hesitant to give out dogs that have these conditions for a few reasons. First, a person who has been waiting for a long time may think that he/she can take on a dog with that sort of issue and will say yes, only to discover later that he/she really can't handle it. Then, everyone feels guilty/bad and the person just ends up on the waiting list again.
Second, it's hard to tell how an allergy, or something of that nature, will progress. If we can control it with food now, will it stay that way for all of its life or will it become worse and worse?
Roscoe has food allergies and we control it by feeding him a fish based food, or raw feeding, and treats that I've made. Anything else and it flares up. However, I can see where the trainer is coming from and he is the expert. Fingers crossed that someone else comes up soon or that it is discovered that this guy's allergies aren't that bad and that diet can fix it.
That said, if it were discovered that his allergies could be controlled by diet, it doesn't mean I'll like him. Here in the UK, we get to meet our potential dogs first and decide whether or not we think he/she will work for us. If we think so the dog goes away for six weeks to complete his/her formal training and then we go into training with him/her. I very much appreciate that I get to be a part of the selection process. I just have to make sure that when the time comes for me to choose, I attempt to be as objective as possible.
So that's where that stands.
Mr. G has also sent an update as to his busy life as "Archio dog." It would seem that he is working in the archaeology field with his new dad and mom and being very helpful when it comes to digging; maybe a bit too helpful in some spots. His jaws of steel have also worked their magic and he has managed to destroy a hard hat...a hard hat! You know, the things that are supposed to protect your heads if machinery fall on them? Either that hard hat sucked or Glacier's got some impressive chompers. My vote lies in the latter.
As for the crew that we have now: Otis is growing like a weed. He turned four months old today and despite several growth spurts he's still quite small. That said, it's surprising how heavy he actually is. With how cold it's been out he has needed a sweater to do his business outside. We felt a bit ridiculous getting a sweater for a Bulldog, but Otis is now the proud, or not so proud, owner of a "Build a Bear" skull and cross bone hoodie. He looks damn cute in it. It was cheaper to buy him a hoodie from the children's store than to get him a dog sweater. Once he grows out of this hoodie we'll have to buy him a dog specific coat, but for now, he will keep wearing his Build a Bear hoodie. So cute!
And what about the other two?
Let's just say Roscoe has been nicknamed "Ranger Roscoe" and Hermione has been deemed "Hermione, the great Huntress." Whenever I go for evening walks, I always take both Roscoe and Hermione. It's kind of dark down on the cycling path and I feel safer having the bigger presence of Roscoe roaming with us. This evening I took the two out for an off leash run and both dogs assumed their respective roles.
Roscoe was off scouting through the under brush and popping out to check on me while Hermione was off holding perfect points at birds, squirrels and bugs. We stopped to talk to a woman who has a JRT named Florence, who was shocked to see Hermione point at a fleeing squirrel. She may be a toy breed, but her hunting instincts are still there.
Otis isn't quite big enough to accompany us on our longer walks, so we haven't determined his sudo personality yet, but if I were to call him anything right now it would be:
"sleepy, lazy Otis."
He definitely lives up to his Bulldog breed description.
As for Hermione the Great Huntress, she didn't catch anything. Probably because she was wearing her bear bell so that I knew what she was up to. Ranger Roscoe didn't seem to think there was anything threatening in the under brush. We have seen foxes in that general area and so I get a bit nervous walking later in the evening, but there are way less people you have to navigate at those times. As everyone knows, I am probably one of the worst cane users in the world. That not only applies to university campuses, city streets and shopping centres, but also to bike paths. So, our walk was quite relaxed and uneventful; despite the fireworks going off in close proximity. Neither Roscoe or Hermione were bothered by the loud bangs or bright lights. I'm not surprised by Roscoe's lack of reaction, but that seemed odd for Hermione. She's a nut about everything. Maybe she felt safe with Ranger Roscoe at her side. ;)
So, was that enough "doggie dish" for you?
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Pie Time!
It is Thanksgiving in the land of ice and snow. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone!
Last year we had a combination Thanksgiving somewhere between the Canadian and American one, but this year since there are really only three of us left, we're doing things a bit different; a bit smaller scale.
Instead of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and whatever else someone may stuff into oneself on such an occasion, we are skipping all of that.
That's right. We're going straight for dessert!
One of the key staples in my family's Thanksgiving, and I think most everyone else's, is pumpkin pie. I used to hate it as a kid. I think it wasn't sweet enough for my little kid taste buds, but as I've grown older and acquired the taste, nothing can beat a perfectly baked pumpkin pie, topped off by whipped cream. Otherwise known as, in the UK, "squirty cream."
Dessert pies aren't really a popular thing here either. So, it is a treat in more than one way. Not only are we having home made pumpkin pie in celebration of Thanksgiving, but we are also getting dessert pie.
I was thinking about what I am thankful for this year and there are so many things. We've had a good year, with a few hard moments here and there, but it's those hard moments that make you appreciate the good ones even more. It also reminds you of how much loved you are by really supportive family members; even if they are across an ocean.
So what am I thankful for this year?
My family, near and far, furry and not; having the opportunity to be going back to school in a program that I absolutely love; the opportunity to live abroad; the beauty of the city that we live in; coffee (every student is grateful for the stuff); good health; and of course, Mr. K. He and I have had a lot of life changes recently, all good, and I am so thankful that we get to share our lives with one another and enrich each other's lives; at least, I think he enriches my life. Not sure if he feels the same way about me. (Just kidding).
And last but certainly not least, home made pumpkin pie. :)
Happy Thanksgiving!
XOXO
Last year we had a combination Thanksgiving somewhere between the Canadian and American one, but this year since there are really only three of us left, we're doing things a bit different; a bit smaller scale.
Instead of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and whatever else someone may stuff into oneself on such an occasion, we are skipping all of that.
That's right. We're going straight for dessert!
One of the key staples in my family's Thanksgiving, and I think most everyone else's, is pumpkin pie. I used to hate it as a kid. I think it wasn't sweet enough for my little kid taste buds, but as I've grown older and acquired the taste, nothing can beat a perfectly baked pumpkin pie, topped off by whipped cream. Otherwise known as, in the UK, "squirty cream."
Dessert pies aren't really a popular thing here either. So, it is a treat in more than one way. Not only are we having home made pumpkin pie in celebration of Thanksgiving, but we are also getting dessert pie.
I was thinking about what I am thankful for this year and there are so many things. We've had a good year, with a few hard moments here and there, but it's those hard moments that make you appreciate the good ones even more. It also reminds you of how much loved you are by really supportive family members; even if they are across an ocean.
So what am I thankful for this year?
My family, near and far, furry and not; having the opportunity to be going back to school in a program that I absolutely love; the opportunity to live abroad; the beauty of the city that we live in; coffee (every student is grateful for the stuff); good health; and of course, Mr. K. He and I have had a lot of life changes recently, all good, and I am so thankful that we get to share our lives with one another and enrich each other's lives; at least, I think he enriches my life. Not sure if he feels the same way about me. (Just kidding).
And last but certainly not least, home made pumpkin pie. :)
Happy Thanksgiving!
XOXO
Friday, August 24, 2012
Up, Up, UP!
Yesterday afternoon Tenie, Carmen, Roscoe and I climbed Arthur's Seat. Hermione was not invited as there is no way her little puppy legs would have gotten her to our destination. Arthur's Seat is a gigantic dormant volcano that can be seen for miles around Edinburgh. We can actually see it from my flat window, despite us being kilometres away. Since arriving in Edinburgh, I have wanted to climb the summit, but we've just never had the chance yet. So, when Tenie said it was on her bucket list of things to do before leaving Edinburgh, I was very excited.
We had a tasty lunch at The Haven, a little cafe that has the most amazing food, and then hopped a bus downtown. Roscoe came along as a non-working dog and I think he thoroughly enjoyed his time. The only unpleasant part of the whole excursion was this crazy, little yappy dog on the bus to Arthur's Seat who was snarling and snapping at people, babies and Roscoe. Of course the owner wasn't interested in doing anything about it and just kept saying, "oh, he's harmless. He's just a puppy. He's just noisy."
That dog was not a puppy and there is a difference between being noisy and lunging for babies' faces. I'm surprised the bus driver didn't ask the woman to get off the bus. I would have been mortified if any of my dogs behaved in that manner.
Tenie took Roscoe and walked him so that Carmen could guide me. The 255 metre above sea level climb took us just under an hour and it was quite enjoyable. The sun was out for the most part, which is a rarity in Scotland, and there was a light breeze. There were a lot of other people climbing the peak, including a tour group from Italy who cheered when each of their members reached the top.
The climb itself had various parts that proved challenging in their own right. The first part wasn't bad, just a gentle slope with stairs cut into the side. We then walked along a road that gradually climbed upwards. It was after this road that the part that demanded a bit of fitness came along. It was a fairly steep incline up a grass covered hill. It was here that Tenie unleashed Roscoe and he took off like a shot, running as fast and as hard as he could. He charged right over to some Australian tourists and introduced himself enthusiastically. They loved him and rough housed with him a bit. He then found his next victims; some people having a picnic. He tried to take a sandwich and so he went back on leash for the rest of the climb up, which was fine because after the grassy slope, the terrain turned quite rocky and we didn't want him to injure himself running about like a maniac.
We picked our way over rocks and used man made foot holes to propel ourselves up. In places the rock was quite smooth and finding the correct place for a foot became tricky. We just went slowly and I felt with each foot before planting it. Tenie and carmen were also good at watching where my feet were going and would often help by saying, "move left" or "right and up a bit."
As we got closer to the top, the rocks became even smoother and I found myself doubled over feeling with my hands before stepping forward. There were sheer drop offs on one side and so I thought this style of climbing was safer.
Once at the top, we stopped for more photos and then found some weather smoothed stones to sit on and have the oatmeal cookies Tenie had brought along from The Haven. It was amazing being up so high. Of course I didn't get the benefit of the view, but you could hear noises from down below that you otherwise wouldn't have heard due to noise pollution. For instance, there was a marching band playing lively tunes that kept floating up to us. At one point, it began to sprinkle, but the sun was still out and going down would have taken another hour, so we weren't in a hurry to go anywhere.
After hanging out at the top for a while, we slowly made our way back down, carefully picking our path. The climb down included a lot of me squatting and sliding from one rocky out cropping to another, but once we made it back to the grassy slope, it was smooth sailing. We let Roscoe run again and he bolted straight for another tourist, but thankfully she was excited to see him. She took a lot of action shots of him bounding through the tall grass and running on the straight stretches. We were all very impressed by his athleticism. He definitely had to be brushed free of the grass seeds that attached themselves to him during his mad galloping.
The bus ride home was not nearly as eventful as the one to Arthur's Seat and when we got home, we all pretty much flopped on to the couch and didn't move. Roscoe was still tired today, sleeping in late and napping for most of the day. If only Hermione could have come and been that sleepy.
We had a tasty lunch at The Haven, a little cafe that has the most amazing food, and then hopped a bus downtown. Roscoe came along as a non-working dog and I think he thoroughly enjoyed his time. The only unpleasant part of the whole excursion was this crazy, little yappy dog on the bus to Arthur's Seat who was snarling and snapping at people, babies and Roscoe. Of course the owner wasn't interested in doing anything about it and just kept saying, "oh, he's harmless. He's just a puppy. He's just noisy."
That dog was not a puppy and there is a difference between being noisy and lunging for babies' faces. I'm surprised the bus driver didn't ask the woman to get off the bus. I would have been mortified if any of my dogs behaved in that manner.
Tenie took Roscoe and walked him so that Carmen could guide me. The 255 metre above sea level climb took us just under an hour and it was quite enjoyable. The sun was out for the most part, which is a rarity in Scotland, and there was a light breeze. There were a lot of other people climbing the peak, including a tour group from Italy who cheered when each of their members reached the top.
The climb itself had various parts that proved challenging in their own right. The first part wasn't bad, just a gentle slope with stairs cut into the side. We then walked along a road that gradually climbed upwards. It was after this road that the part that demanded a bit of fitness came along. It was a fairly steep incline up a grass covered hill. It was here that Tenie unleashed Roscoe and he took off like a shot, running as fast and as hard as he could. He charged right over to some Australian tourists and introduced himself enthusiastically. They loved him and rough housed with him a bit. He then found his next victims; some people having a picnic. He tried to take a sandwich and so he went back on leash for the rest of the climb up, which was fine because after the grassy slope, the terrain turned quite rocky and we didn't want him to injure himself running about like a maniac.
We picked our way over rocks and used man made foot holes to propel ourselves up. In places the rock was quite smooth and finding the correct place for a foot became tricky. We just went slowly and I felt with each foot before planting it. Tenie and carmen were also good at watching where my feet were going and would often help by saying, "move left" or "right and up a bit."
As we got closer to the top, the rocks became even smoother and I found myself doubled over feeling with my hands before stepping forward. There were sheer drop offs on one side and so I thought this style of climbing was safer.
Once at the top, we stopped for more photos and then found some weather smoothed stones to sit on and have the oatmeal cookies Tenie had brought along from The Haven. It was amazing being up so high. Of course I didn't get the benefit of the view, but you could hear noises from down below that you otherwise wouldn't have heard due to noise pollution. For instance, there was a marching band playing lively tunes that kept floating up to us. At one point, it began to sprinkle, but the sun was still out and going down would have taken another hour, so we weren't in a hurry to go anywhere.
After hanging out at the top for a while, we slowly made our way back down, carefully picking our path. The climb down included a lot of me squatting and sliding from one rocky out cropping to another, but once we made it back to the grassy slope, it was smooth sailing. We let Roscoe run again and he bolted straight for another tourist, but thankfully she was excited to see him. She took a lot of action shots of him bounding through the tall grass and running on the straight stretches. We were all very impressed by his athleticism. He definitely had to be brushed free of the grass seeds that attached themselves to him during his mad galloping.
The bus ride home was not nearly as eventful as the one to Arthur's Seat and when we got home, we all pretty much flopped on to the couch and didn't move. Roscoe was still tired today, sleeping in late and napping for most of the day. If only Hermione could have come and been that sleepy.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Staying Busy
I've never been one to sit still for long. Most of you probably already know that by now, but the last week has been particularly busy. I think it's a good thing with Glacier moving out last Friday and all. Everything's been so busy with university preparations, moving into the new flat, running practices, parties and working through Tenie's bucket list, I've managed to keep myself from feeling too sorry for myself. Admittedly, Monday I took the afternoon to stay curled up in bed, having a mini pity party, but after that time, I kicked my own butt into gear; way too much to be done to be wasted on pouting for a whole day. Besides, there's only so much lying around Hermione's going to let me get away with.
Tenie also came to stay with us from Tuesday until today because she was allowing her other flat mate's friends to stay in her room while they visited. Her stay was great and having her around helped pull me out of my funk. Roscoe, who was definitely missing his Glacier, seemed to perk up as well. We did some more flat organising, hanging paintings Mr. K has painted and getting things into their permanent places. We spent a few late nights curled up on the couch watching TV shows and painting toes. I am so glad that I got to have that little bit of time with her before she has to leave.
Tenie found out a few weeks ago that she will not be getting the scholarship she was relying on in order to write her PhD. She had been accepted into the program, but she needed the funding to afford the insane international tuition fees. So, unfortunately, she will have to go home for a year as her post-study visa has expired and she won't be able to study without that financial support. She has started laying the foundations for a return plan for next September, and although I am going to mis her like crazy, I know everything works out the way it should. She'll be back!
Anyway, with her looming departure moving ever closer, she's made an Edinburgh bucket list. So, we're going to work through it before she leaves. Today we managed to strike two items from the list; the first being a complete fluke.
Last night we had a flat warming party and had several friends over for drinks and munchies. It was deemed a "mad hatters" theme and pretty much everyone showed up wearing hats. We had a few girls in what we like to call "old man hats," a princess crown (which the wearer felt suited her quite well), an Indiana Jones hat (we had over five archaeologists at the party, someone had to come with an Indiana Jones hat), Robinhood head wear and much much more. I had told my friends I wanted a wizard's hat and was pleasantly surprised when a few friends showed up baring my hat of choice. We had great food and in total loss on how to keep the drinks cold, I suggested we get ice and dump everything into the bath tub. Definitely a throw back to university house parties, but what are you going to do?
UK fridges are tiny and so there was no way we were going to fit all of the drinks into our fridge. I don't think a bottle of wine would even fit in there on its own. So, the bath tub and ice it was.
The night ran late and a few someones had a bit too much to drink. I had stayed mostly away from the alcohol as I'm trying to stay healthy for training and drinking dehydrates a person drastically. Due to this prior event, today we chose to take a cab into the down town city centre in order to avoid motion sickness from the bus. Since the Fringe, a huge nearly month long festival, is going on, we had to wait quite a while for our cab to arrive. We were about to throw in the towel when it showed up and it happened to be a taxi painted like the Scottish flag. Tenie has wanted to ride in one of those cabs since she moved here four years ago and this afternoon we were able to scratch it off her "to do" list.
We had the cab take us as close to the castle as possible and we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Edinburgh castle. I was impressed by the history of the grounds and was amazed at how dark some of it was. We got to see a military wedding taking place, which was complete with piper leading the procession away. We viewed the crown jewels and I got to read about them on some braille plaques that were posted. Some people were so surprised by me reading the braille that they stopped to take photos.
I wonder if they knew that I didn't come with the castle?
Roscoe was with us of course and he worked like a champ. He maneuvered Mr. K easily around other castle viewers and made sure Mr. K was safe on the uneven terrain of the volcanic rock that the castle is built on. If ever I was to show someone what a guide dog is supposed to do I would have used Roscoe's work this afternoon as an example. He was focused, which was amazing in and of itself because of all of the people and food around that must have been so tempting.
Of course this whole outing wasn't just work for Roscoe. He stopped at one point to nibble on some grass growing by one of the walls while we took photos. I guess he wanted his part of royalty too. At another point we stopped to take more photos and he started sniffing about and we were slightly concerned that he was going to do his business, but he was just being nosy.
Roscoe, don't you know that you can't poop in a castle?
The royal fun didn't end there for Roscoe. We stumbled upon a woman dressed in period costume who was going around crowning everyone. She crowned me, Tenie and Carmen and then it was Roscoe's turn. We had to try twice, but she finally managed to lower the crown onto his head. I am sure Roscoe will be expecting us to call him "your royal highness" for the rest of his life.
It was a really great afternoon that was finished off with me eating half my body weight in hamburger. Ever since I've started running on a consistent schedule, I can't seem to satiate my appetite. Mr. K pointed out that I yelled "because I'm hungry" at him twice in a three hour period. I think it'll be back to carrying around bananas and granola bars for me.
As for Tenie's bucket list, we have a few more things to do: going to the museum, seeing Brave in theatres in Scotland and going through the entire art gallery just to name a few. We have approximately two weeks to get all of these things done, but I have full confidence that her bucket list will be complete when she boards her plane at the end of the month.
Tenie also came to stay with us from Tuesday until today because she was allowing her other flat mate's friends to stay in her room while they visited. Her stay was great and having her around helped pull me out of my funk. Roscoe, who was definitely missing his Glacier, seemed to perk up as well. We did some more flat organising, hanging paintings Mr. K has painted and getting things into their permanent places. We spent a few late nights curled up on the couch watching TV shows and painting toes. I am so glad that I got to have that little bit of time with her before she has to leave.
Tenie found out a few weeks ago that she will not be getting the scholarship she was relying on in order to write her PhD. She had been accepted into the program, but she needed the funding to afford the insane international tuition fees. So, unfortunately, she will have to go home for a year as her post-study visa has expired and she won't be able to study without that financial support. She has started laying the foundations for a return plan for next September, and although I am going to mis her like crazy, I know everything works out the way it should. She'll be back!
Anyway, with her looming departure moving ever closer, she's made an Edinburgh bucket list. So, we're going to work through it before she leaves. Today we managed to strike two items from the list; the first being a complete fluke.
Last night we had a flat warming party and had several friends over for drinks and munchies. It was deemed a "mad hatters" theme and pretty much everyone showed up wearing hats. We had a few girls in what we like to call "old man hats," a princess crown (which the wearer felt suited her quite well), an Indiana Jones hat (we had over five archaeologists at the party, someone had to come with an Indiana Jones hat), Robinhood head wear and much much more. I had told my friends I wanted a wizard's hat and was pleasantly surprised when a few friends showed up baring my hat of choice. We had great food and in total loss on how to keep the drinks cold, I suggested we get ice and dump everything into the bath tub. Definitely a throw back to university house parties, but what are you going to do?
UK fridges are tiny and so there was no way we were going to fit all of the drinks into our fridge. I don't think a bottle of wine would even fit in there on its own. So, the bath tub and ice it was.
The night ran late and a few someones had a bit too much to drink. I had stayed mostly away from the alcohol as I'm trying to stay healthy for training and drinking dehydrates a person drastically. Due to this prior event, today we chose to take a cab into the down town city centre in order to avoid motion sickness from the bus. Since the Fringe, a huge nearly month long festival, is going on, we had to wait quite a while for our cab to arrive. We were about to throw in the towel when it showed up and it happened to be a taxi painted like the Scottish flag. Tenie has wanted to ride in one of those cabs since she moved here four years ago and this afternoon we were able to scratch it off her "to do" list.
We had the cab take us as close to the castle as possible and we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Edinburgh castle. I was impressed by the history of the grounds and was amazed at how dark some of it was. We got to see a military wedding taking place, which was complete with piper leading the procession away. We viewed the crown jewels and I got to read about them on some braille plaques that were posted. Some people were so surprised by me reading the braille that they stopped to take photos.
I wonder if they knew that I didn't come with the castle?
Roscoe was with us of course and he worked like a champ. He maneuvered Mr. K easily around other castle viewers and made sure Mr. K was safe on the uneven terrain of the volcanic rock that the castle is built on. If ever I was to show someone what a guide dog is supposed to do I would have used Roscoe's work this afternoon as an example. He was focused, which was amazing in and of itself because of all of the people and food around that must have been so tempting.
Of course this whole outing wasn't just work for Roscoe. He stopped at one point to nibble on some grass growing by one of the walls while we took photos. I guess he wanted his part of royalty too. At another point we stopped to take more photos and he started sniffing about and we were slightly concerned that he was going to do his business, but he was just being nosy.
Roscoe, don't you know that you can't poop in a castle?
The royal fun didn't end there for Roscoe. We stumbled upon a woman dressed in period costume who was going around crowning everyone. She crowned me, Tenie and Carmen and then it was Roscoe's turn. We had to try twice, but she finally managed to lower the crown onto his head. I am sure Roscoe will be expecting us to call him "your royal highness" for the rest of his life.
It was a really great afternoon that was finished off with me eating half my body weight in hamburger. Ever since I've started running on a consistent schedule, I can't seem to satiate my appetite. Mr. K pointed out that I yelled "because I'm hungry" at him twice in a three hour period. I think it'll be back to carrying around bananas and granola bars for me.
As for Tenie's bucket list, we have a few more things to do: going to the museum, seeing Brave in theatres in Scotland and going through the entire art gallery just to name a few. We have approximately two weeks to get all of these things done, but I have full confidence that her bucket list will be complete when she boards her plane at the end of the month.
Saturday, August 04, 2012
A Strange Birthday Present
Yesterday was my birthday and it just so happened to be the day I gave Glacier to his new home. We had our last walk, heading over to the grocery store to pick up some food for my birthday dinner. I met Tenie there and we let Glacier run part of the way home on the cycling path. He was very happy to be running and our little outing just finalised things in my mind. He was much more interested in sniffing all things delicious in the store and was incredibly distracted by people. I wouldn't say it was a beautiful walk, ending our working relationship on a high note, but I'm glad it wasn't.
If it had, I think I would have started second guessing my decision. Glacier isn't an older dog retiring due to age and so I wouldn't expect anything but what I've been getting from him for the last month.
Today, we're having "high tea" as part of my birthday celebration and the cafe we are going to is dog friendly. I think Glacier's new person is going to bring him along, apparently after Glacier's had a run at the ocean.
I couldn't be happier for him.
So, although retiring a dog is sad and surrendering your dog on your birthday might not be ideal, I actually think it was a kind of birthday gift. I got to see how happy Glacier's new person is and how excited Glacier was to go with him. Sure, I was a bit sad and our flat seemed a little empty this morning, but knowing that he's going to have the best retirement I could have hoped for him is definitely a great birthday present.
***
With all of this Glacier stuff going on, I haven't really been updating about the rest of the household. I have plans on remedying that in the next couple of days.
If it had, I think I would have started second guessing my decision. Glacier isn't an older dog retiring due to age and so I wouldn't expect anything but what I've been getting from him for the last month.
Today, we're having "high tea" as part of my birthday celebration and the cafe we are going to is dog friendly. I think Glacier's new person is going to bring him along, apparently after Glacier's had a run at the ocean.
I couldn't be happier for him.
So, although retiring a dog is sad and surrendering your dog on your birthday might not be ideal, I actually think it was a kind of birthday gift. I got to see how happy Glacier's new person is and how excited Glacier was to go with him. Sure, I was a bit sad and our flat seemed a little empty this morning, but knowing that he's going to have the best retirement I could have hoped for him is definitely a great birthday present.
***
With all of this Glacier stuff going on, I haven't really been updating about the rest of the household. I have plans on remedying that in the next couple of days.
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
Ten Years and Counting
They say that dogs come into our lives for a reason. I don't know who "they" are, but "they" are right. That statement couldn't be more true on this date ten years ago. It's just amazing to me how quickly those years have passed. Another phrase that contains a strong thread of truth is: "where has the time gone?", or "time flies when you're having fun." Time certainly has flown.
Ten years ago today I was matched with my first guide dog, Jetta. Jetta entered my life the way she attacked her job and every challenge put in front of her: paws flying, tail wagging and skittering past me as if her butt was on fire. She was my little ball of black fury and at the age of 11 and a half, she hasn't changed much. Sure, she's faster to climb back on the couch these days, but take her out to a river to run and she takes off like a shot.
Jetta has been happily retired since 2008. Her working career was only six years, but they were adventure filled years and I can't blame her for wanting a change of scenery. She traveled everywhere with me and for every hour I put in on the pool deck, she did too. Sometimes at early morning practices, when it was just me and my coach, Jetta was allowed to roam free. She would race up and down the deck, keeping just ahead of me so that she could lick my face when I stopped at the end to take a breather. There were some competitions that lasted ten days and there was one meet in Denmark where we spent 17 hours straight on the pool side. Jetta took it all in stride and did her best to be patient.
I think she was a real asset to the team and even the staff took joy in having her around. Our massage therapist was a huge dog fan and would always keep Jetta when I was racing or just needed to take a nap and Jetta had energy to burn, which happened more often than not.
Attending practices and swim competitions were not her only adventures. She went whale watching, riding in a peddle boat, camping, toured the Grand Canyon, climbed ancient Greek ruins and so much more. And although all of that is impressive for a dog, I think the most impressive part about her was that she did all of that while guiding me and making sure I was safe. She even kept me from getting backed over by a semi-truck on my university campus. She worked even harder than she played, and let me tell you, the girl knew how to let her "fur" down.
While on duty she was a rock, confident and stubborn. Off duty though, she was a little trouble maker who had a taste for freedom once the leash was unsnapped. She always took off running and no amount of calling would bring her back until she was ready. She gave me a few panic attacks doing that, but she always came back...eventually. She always found things to get into as well. Once, she knocked an entire tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on to the floor and we found her and our two cats eating them together. She even climbed up on to Tenie's dresser from her bed side table to try to get a hold of a chocolate bar. She ate Carmen's lipstick and left a pink stain on Carmen's white blanket. Jetta was magical in that she could find mischief where there shouldn't have been any.
When she worked, though, she did so with a confidence and satisfaction that made me smile. Her street crossings were always spot on, but if she wasn't feeling like going to the pool that day, I had to argue with her to turn where she should. She was really good at trotting right past a doorway if she wasn't done going for a walk. I learned her little quirks though and we worked well. We had a few rough months in the beginning, but we smoothed those out and she really was a great little worker.
When we were matched, I asked her trainer why he had given her to me and he replied,
"because she's stubborn and always hungry...just like you."
And, he was right. If I hadn't been more stubborn than her, we never would have made it. Plus, I shared her love for food. When we first got on to the university campus, I don't think we made it to class on time, or at all some days, for the first two months. If I said "Jetta, left," Jetta went right or straight or turned around. She had a mind of her own, and still does, and no amount of coaxing on my part was going to change it.
That said, she was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I even got a tattoo of her paw print to commemorate our working relationship. She made so many things possible, including allowing me to attend a conference completely sighted guide free. Things just wouldn't have been the same without her little hip wiggle and wagging tail. I am so grateful for the time that we did work together and glad she has a home that is loving where she can be a chubby retired girl.
Happy anniversary, Jetta. You will always be my special girl.
Ten years ago today I was matched with my first guide dog, Jetta. Jetta entered my life the way she attacked her job and every challenge put in front of her: paws flying, tail wagging and skittering past me as if her butt was on fire. She was my little ball of black fury and at the age of 11 and a half, she hasn't changed much. Sure, she's faster to climb back on the couch these days, but take her out to a river to run and she takes off like a shot.
Jetta has been happily retired since 2008. Her working career was only six years, but they were adventure filled years and I can't blame her for wanting a change of scenery. She traveled everywhere with me and for every hour I put in on the pool deck, she did too. Sometimes at early morning practices, when it was just me and my coach, Jetta was allowed to roam free. She would race up and down the deck, keeping just ahead of me so that she could lick my face when I stopped at the end to take a breather. There were some competitions that lasted ten days and there was one meet in Denmark where we spent 17 hours straight on the pool side. Jetta took it all in stride and did her best to be patient.
I think she was a real asset to the team and even the staff took joy in having her around. Our massage therapist was a huge dog fan and would always keep Jetta when I was racing or just needed to take a nap and Jetta had energy to burn, which happened more often than not.
Attending practices and swim competitions were not her only adventures. She went whale watching, riding in a peddle boat, camping, toured the Grand Canyon, climbed ancient Greek ruins and so much more. And although all of that is impressive for a dog, I think the most impressive part about her was that she did all of that while guiding me and making sure I was safe. She even kept me from getting backed over by a semi-truck on my university campus. She worked even harder than she played, and let me tell you, the girl knew how to let her "fur" down.
While on duty she was a rock, confident and stubborn. Off duty though, she was a little trouble maker who had a taste for freedom once the leash was unsnapped. She always took off running and no amount of calling would bring her back until she was ready. She gave me a few panic attacks doing that, but she always came back...eventually. She always found things to get into as well. Once, she knocked an entire tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on to the floor and we found her and our two cats eating them together. She even climbed up on to Tenie's dresser from her bed side table to try to get a hold of a chocolate bar. She ate Carmen's lipstick and left a pink stain on Carmen's white blanket. Jetta was magical in that she could find mischief where there shouldn't have been any.
When she worked, though, she did so with a confidence and satisfaction that made me smile. Her street crossings were always spot on, but if she wasn't feeling like going to the pool that day, I had to argue with her to turn where she should. She was really good at trotting right past a doorway if she wasn't done going for a walk. I learned her little quirks though and we worked well. We had a few rough months in the beginning, but we smoothed those out and she really was a great little worker.
When we were matched, I asked her trainer why he had given her to me and he replied,
"because she's stubborn and always hungry...just like you."
And, he was right. If I hadn't been more stubborn than her, we never would have made it. Plus, I shared her love for food. When we first got on to the university campus, I don't think we made it to class on time, or at all some days, for the first two months. If I said "Jetta, left," Jetta went right or straight or turned around. She had a mind of her own, and still does, and no amount of coaxing on my part was going to change it.
That said, she was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I even got a tattoo of her paw print to commemorate our working relationship. She made so many things possible, including allowing me to attend a conference completely sighted guide free. Things just wouldn't have been the same without her little hip wiggle and wagging tail. I am so grateful for the time that we did work together and glad she has a home that is loving where she can be a chubby retired girl.
Happy anniversary, Jetta. You will always be my special girl.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
On Tops of the World!
Herro everyone! Hermione heres. The mama has been hogging the 'puter thingy and so, I haves not been ables to type to you fur a very very very very long time.
Hmmmm, "hogging." Isn't thats a funny word? What's a hogs anyways?
I'm heres today to tells you a story. Wells, I ams always heres to tell you a story. I guess, it's mores to tells you about an argument the Mama and I had and hows I am right and hers is wrong. Hers still hasn't accepted this very very very simple truth; that I ams rights and hers is wrong. Hers really needs to get with the program.
Just yesterday the Mama was eating hers supper and I thoughts I should haves some. I had already had my supper, buts sharing is very impawtant and so the Mama should really shares hers stuff with me. Hers doesn't see it that way, buts I'm working on hers. The Mama sits on our couch to eats suppers because our home is small and the Daddy's 'puter stuff is alls over the kitchen table. Him does not have a desk because there just isn't the room.
At first, I tried to sit beside hers and carefully sneaks my way on to her cap, um, flap...lap. Hers said,
"hermione, no. Off."
I hates those two words. no "" and "off" are not words that should be used when the Mama is talking to me. I ams just saying.
So, because I am a good girl, I got off of the Mama's cap and went and sat at the end of the couch. I just couldn't understands why the Mama wouldn't shares with me. Sharing is only the nice thingy to do. So, I gots to thinking, maybe the Mama was confused and forgots how to share. I tried a new plan of aback...attack.
I went back to the Mama and gots in her cap again, buts kept my nose to myself. I thoughts that if hers saw that I was a sweet, nice girl that hers would remember to share, but I couldn't sit like that fur very long. The smells of hers fishes and green beans was too much for my little pupppee senses. So, I accidentally leaned towards hers plate and hers said,
"Hermione, no. Off."
I did what I was tolds, buts oh hows I wanted some fishes and beans. So, I went to my thinking spots again and started thinking. That's when it struck me: the coffee table was in front of the Mama, maybe ifI could sees her better, she'd want to share. So, I hopped down from the couch and put my plan into action.
It was a bit difficult at firsts, since I haves never done this befores. I puts my front arms up on the coffee table because I am tall enough to do that nows, buts did it very very very very quietly. The Mama can't sees me, buts her can sure hears me. I hads to be very very very carefuls because my shiny bone tag makes a lot of noise when it hits thingies. Once my arms were in place, I pushed with my feets and tried leaping, buts I am a small puppee and only five months old, so I just couldn't makes it. The fishes smelled so good and I wanted to try the beans, so I did not give ups. The mama says that when hers was little her teachers used to say,
"if at first you don't succeed, try try again." Good device...rice...erm, advice Mama.
Ands "try, try agains," is exactly what I did.
With my arms on the top and my feets pushing from the bottom I gots high enough to gets my feets on the second shelf. I was so excited, I hopped a little mores and suddenlys I was on the coffee table. I marched myself-well, marched as much as I coulds in a very small space-to the middle of the table and showed the Mama my best "sit stay" ever.
See, Mama? Our training is working!
I stared straight at hers in my perfect "sit stay" and waited fur hers to share with me. I had worked hard. I deserved a reward, rights?
The Mama noticed me and covered her mouths with hers hand and squeaked,
"what are you doing?"
Hers was trying not to laugh. I knows it!
Then, hers three favourite words came out: "Hermione, no. Off."
"Buts, Mama! I worked so hard. I thoughts of this plan all on my own ands I'm sitting!"
Hers waited and I got off. Hers told me I was a good girl in her happy voice, buts hers was still not forthcoming with hers stinking fishes.
After I went off to plays with my Roscoe brother, hers told the Daddy what had happened and they both were snorting and squeaking and shaking like crazy hu Man and Hu Woman.
I haven't done it agains, buts it's a great trick ands I will remember to use it one of these days when I needs to impress someone. Maybe they will be mores impressed than the Mama and the Daddy and they'll hands overs some stinking fishes.
Nows that you knows the story, you can sees that I am rights! Rights? Sharing is a nice thingy to do and if you works hard, you should be rewarded. The Mama says that I haves my princesses...principupils...principles? Principles right, buts that I still don't gets fishes.
What's that all abouts, Mama?!
Hmmmm, "hogging." Isn't thats a funny word? What's a hogs anyways?
I'm heres today to tells you a story. Wells, I ams always heres to tell you a story. I guess, it's mores to tells you about an argument the Mama and I had and hows I am right and hers is wrong. Hers still hasn't accepted this very very very simple truth; that I ams rights and hers is wrong. Hers really needs to get with the program.
Just yesterday the Mama was eating hers supper and I thoughts I should haves some. I had already had my supper, buts sharing is very impawtant and so the Mama should really shares hers stuff with me. Hers doesn't see it that way, buts I'm working on hers. The Mama sits on our couch to eats suppers because our home is small and the Daddy's 'puter stuff is alls over the kitchen table. Him does not have a desk because there just isn't the room.
At first, I tried to sit beside hers and carefully sneaks my way on to her cap, um, flap...lap. Hers said,
"hermione, no. Off."
I hates those two words. no "" and "off" are not words that should be used when the Mama is talking to me. I ams just saying.
So, because I am a good girl, I got off of the Mama's cap and went and sat at the end of the couch. I just couldn't understands why the Mama wouldn't shares with me. Sharing is only the nice thingy to do. So, I gots to thinking, maybe the Mama was confused and forgots how to share. I tried a new plan of aback...attack.
I went back to the Mama and gots in her cap again, buts kept my nose to myself. I thoughts that if hers saw that I was a sweet, nice girl that hers would remember to share, but I couldn't sit like that fur very long. The smells of hers fishes and green beans was too much for my little pupppee senses. So, I accidentally leaned towards hers plate and hers said,
"Hermione, no. Off."
I did what I was tolds, buts oh hows I wanted some fishes and beans. So, I went to my thinking spots again and started thinking. That's when it struck me: the coffee table was in front of the Mama, maybe ifI could sees her better, she'd want to share. So, I hopped down from the couch and put my plan into action.
It was a bit difficult at firsts, since I haves never done this befores. I puts my front arms up on the coffee table because I am tall enough to do that nows, buts did it very very very very quietly. The Mama can't sees me, buts her can sure hears me. I hads to be very very very carefuls because my shiny bone tag makes a lot of noise when it hits thingies. Once my arms were in place, I pushed with my feets and tried leaping, buts I am a small puppee and only five months old, so I just couldn't makes it. The fishes smelled so good and I wanted to try the beans, so I did not give ups. The mama says that when hers was little her teachers used to say,
"if at first you don't succeed, try try again." Good device...rice...erm, advice Mama.
Ands "try, try agains," is exactly what I did.
With my arms on the top and my feets pushing from the bottom I gots high enough to gets my feets on the second shelf. I was so excited, I hopped a little mores and suddenlys I was on the coffee table. I marched myself-well, marched as much as I coulds in a very small space-to the middle of the table and showed the Mama my best "sit stay" ever.
See, Mama? Our training is working!
I stared straight at hers in my perfect "sit stay" and waited fur hers to share with me. I had worked hard. I deserved a reward, rights?
The Mama noticed me and covered her mouths with hers hand and squeaked,
"what are you doing?"
Hers was trying not to laugh. I knows it!
Then, hers three favourite words came out: "Hermione, no. Off."
"Buts, Mama! I worked so hard. I thoughts of this plan all on my own ands I'm sitting!"
Hers waited and I got off. Hers told me I was a good girl in her happy voice, buts hers was still not forthcoming with hers stinking fishes.
After I went off to plays with my Roscoe brother, hers told the Daddy what had happened and they both were snorting and squeaking and shaking like crazy hu Man and Hu Woman.
I haven't done it agains, buts it's a great trick ands I will remember to use it one of these days when I needs to impress someone. Maybe they will be mores impressed than the Mama and the Daddy and they'll hands overs some stinking fishes.
Nows that you knows the story, you can sees that I am rights! Rights? Sharing is a nice thingy to do and if you works hard, you should be rewarded. The Mama says that I haves my princesses...principupils...principles? Principles right, buts that I still don't gets fishes.
What's that all abouts, Mama?!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Lost for Words
Have you ever felt like your thoughts or words just won't come out or lacked the motivation to put things into writing? Or, perhaps you've felt like whatever you have to say just isn't interesting or worth writing down?
I've sort of felt like this the last week or so. I'm not really sure why. I've had a few things I could write about, but for some reason, every time I start writing I end up deleting the draught and just not bothering. I haven't even updated my Facebook status in over a week.
Like I said, there doesn't seem to be a particular reason. I've been busy and probably could write a whole bunch just on one day's happenings, but it just won't come out. Even now, it seems like I am repeating myself.
I think part of it is that Mr. K's been really busy trying to get his last assignments finished for this term. That means, Glacier, Hermione and I have been spending very little time at home so that the flat is quiet for him. I've taken my lap top with me, but most of the time I don't even take it out.
I've been working away at the fleece tugs that I'm making to raise funds for Labrador Retriever Rescue Scotland and have attempted a few dog cookie recipes. Surprisingly, both batches have turned out quite well. I did manage to cut the end of my thumb while slicing up sweet potatoes for the sweet potato treats, but other than that, there haven't been too many mishaps. That is a miracle since I am a complete mess in the kitchen. In fact, the Garlic, Cheese and Chicken Bites I made two nights ago smelled so good Mr. K and I wanted to eat them. The whole flat smelled as though I had been making home made garlic bread. I baked a batch of Apple Cinnamon cookies yesterday-a recipe of my own design-and that smelled good as well. The dogs all seem to like the treats too. So, that is a bonus.
Aside from the tugs and treats, I've also added hand tied, fleece blankets to the products available. Hermione has a green and pink one and she loves it. I had her sitting on my lap, wrapped up in it, and even though it barely covered my knees, I was super cozy. My next project is to make myself one; in purple, of course. I just have to go buy enough fleece and the right colours.
All of the dogs are doing well. Glacier is loving all of the work he has been doing with us getting out every day. Hermione is getting better at the forward momentum necessary for going for a walk and I'm thinking of purchasing her an "Easy Walk" harness. Despite her being small, she has a good pull and she's only going to get bigger. Of course she won't be the size of a German Shepherd or have the pull of a Husky, but I'd prefer that she didn't constantly be pulling. It's better for not only my shoulder, but her little body as well.
Speaking of Miss Hermione: I had noticed that she was scratching an awful lot. She also seemed to have a lot of dandruff. In order to combat her itchy skin, I bought some cod liver oil and have been giving her the supplement twice a week. It seems to be helping. She kind of stinks like fish after eating it-pretty much for the whole day-but if it keeps her from scratching her skin off, I think we can live with a bit of stink. The boys have been getting the supplement as well.
Cinnamon is another supplement all dogs get once a day. I had read some really good information about the benefits of cinnamon and instantly starting adding it to their food. Obviously, with any supplement, cinnamon and cod liver oil included, should be given in specific measurements and shouldn't be given to dogs with certain health conditions, but for my dogs, both supplements are fantastic. I'd post the link to the pages about the benefits of cinnamon and cod liver oil, but ever since Blogger decided to force everyone over to its new, user unfriendly interface, I can't post photos or links.
My battle with the University of Bozos continues with me trying to explain that what they are doing is illegal. A few more emails have gone back and forth and I don't think they understand that I'm not contesting the importance of contacting the disability office in order to have your needs met, but refusing to process a disabled student's application until he/she has established whether or not the disability office can accommodate him/her is illegal. The law basically says that the university has to find a way to accommodate the disabled student, not that the university can decide whether or not they can accommodate and then base their acceptance of the student on that.
The University of Bozos tried quoting their application policy that "strongly suggests" students contact the disability office during the application process.
Um, last time I checked, "strongly suggest" does not mean "must" or "has to." These idiots have no idea what they are talking about. Regardless, my email response that I copied and pasted on another post must have them in a tizzy because I have received three email responses from three different people and I haven't even replied yet. I'm carefully crafting that response with links to the laws and quotes from their own policies that contradicts what they are saying.
Despite me saying that I didn't have anything to say, it would appear I've written quite a bit. It's slightly disjointed and a bunch of topics all jumbled together, but it's something. :)
Happy Friday, everyone.
I've sort of felt like this the last week or so. I'm not really sure why. I've had a few things I could write about, but for some reason, every time I start writing I end up deleting the draught and just not bothering. I haven't even updated my Facebook status in over a week.
Like I said, there doesn't seem to be a particular reason. I've been busy and probably could write a whole bunch just on one day's happenings, but it just won't come out. Even now, it seems like I am repeating myself.
I think part of it is that Mr. K's been really busy trying to get his last assignments finished for this term. That means, Glacier, Hermione and I have been spending very little time at home so that the flat is quiet for him. I've taken my lap top with me, but most of the time I don't even take it out.
I've been working away at the fleece tugs that I'm making to raise funds for Labrador Retriever Rescue Scotland and have attempted a few dog cookie recipes. Surprisingly, both batches have turned out quite well. I did manage to cut the end of my thumb while slicing up sweet potatoes for the sweet potato treats, but other than that, there haven't been too many mishaps. That is a miracle since I am a complete mess in the kitchen. In fact, the Garlic, Cheese and Chicken Bites I made two nights ago smelled so good Mr. K and I wanted to eat them. The whole flat smelled as though I had been making home made garlic bread. I baked a batch of Apple Cinnamon cookies yesterday-a recipe of my own design-and that smelled good as well. The dogs all seem to like the treats too. So, that is a bonus.
Aside from the tugs and treats, I've also added hand tied, fleece blankets to the products available. Hermione has a green and pink one and she loves it. I had her sitting on my lap, wrapped up in it, and even though it barely covered my knees, I was super cozy. My next project is to make myself one; in purple, of course. I just have to go buy enough fleece and the right colours.
All of the dogs are doing well. Glacier is loving all of the work he has been doing with us getting out every day. Hermione is getting better at the forward momentum necessary for going for a walk and I'm thinking of purchasing her an "Easy Walk" harness. Despite her being small, she has a good pull and she's only going to get bigger. Of course she won't be the size of a German Shepherd or have the pull of a Husky, but I'd prefer that she didn't constantly be pulling. It's better for not only my shoulder, but her little body as well.
Speaking of Miss Hermione: I had noticed that she was scratching an awful lot. She also seemed to have a lot of dandruff. In order to combat her itchy skin, I bought some cod liver oil and have been giving her the supplement twice a week. It seems to be helping. She kind of stinks like fish after eating it-pretty much for the whole day-but if it keeps her from scratching her skin off, I think we can live with a bit of stink. The boys have been getting the supplement as well.
Cinnamon is another supplement all dogs get once a day. I had read some really good information about the benefits of cinnamon and instantly starting adding it to their food. Obviously, with any supplement, cinnamon and cod liver oil included, should be given in specific measurements and shouldn't be given to dogs with certain health conditions, but for my dogs, both supplements are fantastic. I'd post the link to the pages about the benefits of cinnamon and cod liver oil, but ever since Blogger decided to force everyone over to its new, user unfriendly interface, I can't post photos or links.
My battle with the University of Bozos continues with me trying to explain that what they are doing is illegal. A few more emails have gone back and forth and I don't think they understand that I'm not contesting the importance of contacting the disability office in order to have your needs met, but refusing to process a disabled student's application until he/she has established whether or not the disability office can accommodate him/her is illegal. The law basically says that the university has to find a way to accommodate the disabled student, not that the university can decide whether or not they can accommodate and then base their acceptance of the student on that.
The University of Bozos tried quoting their application policy that "strongly suggests" students contact the disability office during the application process.
Um, last time I checked, "strongly suggest" does not mean "must" or "has to." These idiots have no idea what they are talking about. Regardless, my email response that I copied and pasted on another post must have them in a tizzy because I have received three email responses from three different people and I haven't even replied yet. I'm carefully crafting that response with links to the laws and quotes from their own policies that contradicts what they are saying.
Despite me saying that I didn't have anything to say, it would appear I've written quite a bit. It's slightly disjointed and a bunch of topics all jumbled together, but it's something. :)
Happy Friday, everyone.
Monday, April 23, 2012
PSA: Glacier's Goody Shop Opened
I'm not sure if anyone would be interested, but I've created a Facebook page for the fundraiser I'm doing for LRRS. I realise that most of the people who read this blog are in North America and can't really purchase any of the products, but there's a lot more going on over there than just selling stuff. I am trying to add health facts from time to time; photo competitions and/or postings; engaging conversations Etc. So, if you care to check us out, here is the link:
to Glacier's Goody Shop.
We'd love for you to join in and have some fun. Plus, a photo of Hermione was posted on the wall by a friend so you can finally see her. :)
to Glacier's Goody Shop.
We'd love for you to join in and have some fun. Plus, a photo of Hermione was posted on the wall by a friend so you can finally see her. :)
Friday, April 13, 2012
Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?
So, as all of you know, thanks to Hermione, I spent some time in the kitchen attempting to make some hypoallergenic, gluten/grain free treats for my pups. Surprisingly, they didn't turn out too badly and, as was requested, I will share the recipe with you. It's more of a "sort of do this" thing than an actual recipe. So, bare with me. :)
(I don't have a name for these. Any suggestions)?
Ingredients: bananas (how many bananas you use, depends on how many cookies you want. I used two bananas and got about a dozen or so treats), smooth peanut butter (natural if you can manage it), plain yogurt (I used organic), cinnamon.
Instructions: chop banana into slices Aprox. a quarter of an inch thick. (You can cut them however you want, but just know that the thicker they are, the longer it will take for them to dehydrate).
Spread thin layer of peanut butter on to each slice of banana. On top of thin layer of peanut butter, spread thin layer of plain yogurt. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and place into dehydrater. Let dehydrate for Aprox. 10 hours or until all ingredients have become hard.
Note: if the peanut butter is spread too thick, it will not lose its moisture and remain slightly oily and sticky. This is fine. The texture can be whatever you want it to be. If you want softer cookies, take them out of the machine sooner.
Bananas were used for flavour and potassium. Peanut butter was used for flavour and smell. Plain yogurt was used to encourage good intestinal health and cinnamon was used to promote good circulation.
***
My boys loved them and swallowed them in one gulp. So, these would be good training treats for big dogs. However, Hermione took hers off into a corner to chew on it. It took her about five to ten minutes to consume the small treat. So, these would not be good training treats for smaller dogs or small breed puppies as it would take too long for them to consume.
They are a healthy, low fat treat that your dogs should love. Enjoy. :)
(I don't have a name for these. Any suggestions)?
Ingredients: bananas (how many bananas you use, depends on how many cookies you want. I used two bananas and got about a dozen or so treats), smooth peanut butter (natural if you can manage it), plain yogurt (I used organic), cinnamon.
Instructions: chop banana into slices Aprox. a quarter of an inch thick. (You can cut them however you want, but just know that the thicker they are, the longer it will take for them to dehydrate).
Spread thin layer of peanut butter on to each slice of banana. On top of thin layer of peanut butter, spread thin layer of plain yogurt. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and place into dehydrater. Let dehydrate for Aprox. 10 hours or until all ingredients have become hard.
Note: if the peanut butter is spread too thick, it will not lose its moisture and remain slightly oily and sticky. This is fine. The texture can be whatever you want it to be. If you want softer cookies, take them out of the machine sooner.
Bananas were used for flavour and potassium. Peanut butter was used for flavour and smell. Plain yogurt was used to encourage good intestinal health and cinnamon was used to promote good circulation.
***
My boys loved them and swallowed them in one gulp. So, these would be good training treats for big dogs. However, Hermione took hers off into a corner to chew on it. It took her about five to ten minutes to consume the small treat. So, these would not be good training treats for smaller dogs or small breed puppies as it would take too long for them to consume.
They are a healthy, low fat treat that your dogs should love. Enjoy. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
