Taffy Update

So I have finally had the time to get Taffy all groomed up and looking gorgeous. It took a couple of sessions, because I didn't want to do too much at once. She was SUCH a trooper, I can't tell you how impressed I was. She didn't even flinch when I trimmed her nails and cleaned her ears.

She's a really pretty little girl, and so loving. She has continually amazed me with her abilities too. She climbs stairs bravely, and even jumped on the couch tonight! We were ALL stunned! She hasn't had an accident in the house at all, and she's awesome in a crate. She's adjusting well to the dogs - better than I ever thought she would.

I ordered a homeopathic product called Eye See Clearly, which is supposed to promote general eye health and dissolve cataracts. Anecdotal evidence says that it works, from some people anyhow. It's worth a try . . . and it won't hurt the eyes. Taffy has a vet appointment next week to check her general health and get approval for her spay surgery.

Until then, the spoiling continues!

My Crazy Weekend

So, after signifcant amounts of traveling, I now have a foster dog (Cocker Spaniel, of course!). Her name is Taffy, and I pulled her from a kill shelter on Sunday. She's 6 years old, red, and very blind from cataracts. She stinks to high heaven (although now it's less, since she's had some baths) and is matted solid, but she's really enjoying life in the house. She's had a few litters, and her "udders" are hanging down to her knees, but she wags that nub with all her might. She's a beautiful, sweet, loving girl . . . I know the right home is out there somewhere.

The foot is VERY sore still . . . I slipped on a wet patch of floor at the restaurant tonight, and landed on my foot. That certainly didn't help, and neither did running around at a show all weekend.

Grace showed very well for me - not nervous or unsure at all. She was happy and full of herself, and wanted to love on everyone. Her favourite were other dogs and any kids walking by. She did jump off the grooming table on Saturday morning (my friend doesn't normally use a noose), and she must have injured herself, as she was limping slightly in the ring. We took second out of two on Saturday and Sunday, and then we won our class on Monday. I was just THRILLED that she showed well and had fun.

I also had both Farley and Grace's eyes checked at a CERF eye clinic. Both of them tested clear, which is always a relief. I'm concerned that Farley's night vision is going, but the vet checked him very thoroughly and his eyes are normal. Phew! I know he's not being used for breeding (and has never been), but I still want him to have good eyes. I wasn't surprised about Grace, but I was very happy.

This week is very busy for me - I am going to be housesitting for a friend, so I'm moving over there on Thursday night, along with Grace and Taffy. Taffy needs a grooming, as does the dog I'm looking after, and I have a WHOLE paper to write before April 13th. You know me, I'm a major procrastinator! So that's it in a nutshell for me . . . sorry I haven't been checking in, but the net was down for me for over 24 hours. Talk about frustrating!!!!

This should be fun

So, after four days back at work, my foot is actually about as sore as it was last week. I suspect that if I was still working from home, with my foot up most of the day, it would be improving. But it's not realistic to expect to be able to work from home for forever . . . and it's not like I'm immobile, just gimpy and slow. My mom bought me a cream from the health food store called "Traumeel" with arnica and other healing agents, so I'm using that twice a day. Hopefully it's helping.

This weekend I'm off to a dog show. It's Grace's first show, and I've been looking forward to it for ages now. I entered her almost as soon as I could, and have been impatiently waiting for this weekend to arrive. Now I'm not even 100% sure that I'm going to be able to do a decent job of showing her with this stupid limp. This is so frustrating! I don't particularly want to hand her off to somebody else, because I want to make sure that her first show experiences are pleasant ones. If somebody else is showing her, I have no control over what happens. And I'm not good at relinquishing control, as anybody that knows me is aware.

So, wish me luck and wish Grace luck. Hopefully she shows well despite her handicap (me!), and we have fun. What more can we ask for?

Back at work

So I'm back at work now . . . hobbled onto the bus this morning, and then hobbled into the office. The foot is still sore, still somewhat swollen, and many colours of the rainbow, but it IS improving. Slowly. It's actually good to be back at work though . . . I missed my friends there. Okay, okay . . . stop laughing. I do SO have friends at work!

I finally finished "The Monk" and now I have to choose what to read next. It's almost stressful having so many choices! At least if this is all the stress I experience, life is pretty tame.

If you can believe it, it's snowing AGAIN. I had to get on the roof yesterday to clear 2 feet of snow (at least) from around the vents up there. It was leaking water into our bathroom. I hate heights . . . getting up there was fine, but I get paralyzed with fear trying to get down. I made it though - must have had my big girl panties on! And for those of you concerned about me climbing on the roof with a sprained foot, my mother was there, and it was all done VERY safely. My mother would NEVER put my health or safety at risk.

Hope everyone is having a good start to their week!

Snow Dog

Yes, rather surprisingly, it is snowing again. Oh well, at least one being in Fort McMurray is happy about it.

Lots of Reading

So, for some reason, I have recently discovered a whole pile of books that I want to read. A few I am borrowing from my good friend, who has really unique taste in books. She has lent me 2 of the books that are currently on my must read list. Right now I'm reading a book called "The Monk" by Matthew G. Lewis. It was published in 1796, when the author was 19. It was WAY ahead of its time then . . . it was considered very taboo. I'm about 2/3 of the way through it now, and it's actually a really good read. Not full of action or anything like that, but definitely interesting enough to hold one's interest.

On the shelf, ready to go, I have "Stranger Than Fiction" by Chuck Palahniuk, a collection of non-fiction short stories. Looks like a good book - the first short story is about a testicle festival (no word of a lie!), so how can a book with that kind of opening be anything short of interesting?

I just got "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini from my best friend, so I have to get it read. I've been looking at it in the bookstores, so I guess now I'd better get it read! I also have "Talk To The Hand" to read, which is written by the same author as "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" about punctuation, or the lack thereof, in today's society.

On the way, from Chapters, is "The Smartest Guys In The Room" about the rise and fall of Enron. I watched the DVD in class last weekend (a full length documentary), and it was great, so I am inspired to learn more.

So lots of reading to do . . . now to find the time!

Mother Nature . . .

I have to say that Mother Nature is cruel. It is mid-March, and in some areas of the world spring is in full force. But not here in Fort McMurray . . . ooooh no! It is still darned cold (like around -20) and we keep getting these big dumps of snow. It's not fair! I just want the warmer temperatures and the opportunity to see the ground without snow cover. Grace, on the other hand, loves the snow. She would play outside all day long if I'd let her. The reason I don't is that I'm worried she'll lick the metal shed and get stuck. Beautiful girl, just not that bright.

Anyhow, I don't really have that much to write about, since I'm stuck at home with this sprained foot. I am working from home, but there's nothing exciting going on there. The dogs are sleeping and snoring, and "School of Rock" is playing on TV. Life is boring, but good!

The shoe dropped

Okay, okay . . . I guess posting about all the good things in my life alerted Murphy that the law was being broken (yep, Murphy's Law). Fortunately, of all the bad things that could happen, this is pretty low on the scale.

I was carrying something down the stairs, and my dear boy Farley left a ball on the stairs. I stepped on it, my foot rolled under the ankle, and I fell down 3 stairs. Oh my God, it hurt SO much! It hurt so much that I couldn't even curse . . . I could only say "Ow! Ow! Ow! It hurts!." The top of my left foot is swollen now, and it hurts like the dickens. I did go to the hospital, and the x-rays show no fracture, so it's apparently just a bad sprain. But man, it HURTS! So I'm hobbling around like a cripple . . . gonna have to stay home from work tomorrow, because I can't get on and off the bus with my foot like this.

Other than that, it's actually been an okay day (nothing is as fun as spending HOURS in the hospital). My older niece has a birthday tomorrow, so we had the whole family over for supper and presents. That was fun! Grace played with my brother's new Irish Wolfhound puppy for hours on end . . . she should sleep well tonight. Farley had to hang out in my room (he hates big dogs), but he was okay like that.

Other than that, life goes on as usual . . . dogs, school, work and TV ;)

More good things . . .

Seems like my life is full of good things lately, and I'm not complaining :) You know, sometimes it feels like everything is going wrong, but right now it just feels like it's all going right.

Before Christmas I was approached by my old neighbour about a possible new job. I sent my resume along, and the department manager actually called me and talked to me (this is a bigger deal than it sounds like on paper). Anyhow, I met with a few people in January about it, and then things kind of fizzled for a while. Since I didn't really hear much, I thought maybe they'd found another candidate for the job. Out of curiosity, I emailed the fellow who would be the boss yesterday, to see if they'd filled the position. A lady from Human Resources called me to tell me that I was the successful applicant. I was so sure that I wasn't getting the job that I was quite surprised! And VERY pleased :) It's a promotion of sorts . . . more than just a lateral move, anyhow. And it's an awesome opportunity for me (within the same company). So I can't wait to learn some of the details (transfer date, etc).

I took Grace outside to practise being a show dog tonight. It's finally warming up enough to play outside, instead of trying to work in the house. She was pretty wound up initially, but man, when she got the hang of it she did really well. She can MOVE! It gave me little goosebumps, so now I'm looking forward to her first show. Even if she goofs around in the ring (which is to be expected, since she's a puppy), once she finds her rhythm, I think she's going to be a lot of fun to show.

Farley is doing well. He's started on Missing Link Plus, which is a food supplement with glucosamine in it, and he seems to be doing well. He's not as sore these days, and not taking as much pain medication. So that makes me really happy. I sure do love my cranky old man!

Home Again . . . Thankfully

Okay, I have discovered that I have a breaking point when traveling. And somewhere in the car on highway 63, I hit that point. I'm glad to be home for a while now, because I am so tired of being on the road (or in the air). It's nice to be sleeping in my own bed for a while now. I won't be back on the highway for another few weeks, and that'll be for a dog show. By then I'll have forgotten the tiring part of the trip :)

I saw Van Morrison in concert on Wednesday night (think "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Moondance"). The man was absolutely incredible. He can sing, play sax, play harmonica and probably half a dozen other instruments too. He didn't talk to the crowd at all, he just played for 90 minutes. It was great. His entire band is just so talented . . . it was a pleasure to hear them as well. On CDs I never really notice bands that much, but they were just rockin' the other night!

It looks like Grace has finally figure out the whole pottying outside thing. I had her on a schedule before, which was working okay, as long as I didn't slip. But now I've noticed that I can push the schedule a bit, and she is still waiting until she goes outside. Yippeee! She is just so happy that I'm home - she keeps coming and checking to make sure I'm still here. Too funny. And Farley is just glad to have his mom back. He's been stuck to me like glue since I got back.

It's back to work on Monday . . . sigh. These two weeks off have been wonderful.

Back Home . . . For Now

Wow, I am so tired today . . . I guess all of my traveling has finally caught up with me. But it was SO worth it, especially the last few days, which were spent in Louisiana. I know that LA doesn't sound like an exciting tourism destination, but it sure was amazing. There is so much to eat, see and try. In the short two days that I was there, we crammed a lot of stuff in!

On the Saturday we had breakfast at Lea's at Lecompte, a restaurant that has been running for many, many years. They are famous for their handmade pies. We had a great meal, and brought a pie home to have later (chocolate, and it was yummy). Then we went to Fred's in 'Tet Mamou (little Mamou) to listen to authentic Cajun music (called Zydeco). This place is world famous, and the origin of Zydeco music. It was ROCKIN' in there! After that we went to Teet's in Opelousas, where we bought boudin (rice sausage), cracklin's (pork rinds freshly fried), and Slap Ya Mama (totally awesome Cajun spices mixed in Opelousas). My friend's husband went home for a nap (being surrounded by 3 beautiful women is so tiring) and we toured Alexandria. Did some shopping, and got to see where my friend spent her formative years.

Saturday night we went to Tunk's Cypress Inn, which is a traditional Cajun restaurant. It is on Kincaid Lake (I think) and the view from our table was stunning (for the hour that it wasn't storming and dark out, anyhow). We ate alligator (not bad), deep fried pickles (salty), crawfish (really good) and catfish (AMAZING). The meal was to die for, and I got a new bumper sticker for the car that says "I ate alligator at Tunk's Cypress Inn"

Sunday morning we did some shooting (yes, real guns - 22 caliber and 38 caliber). What a rush to experience that feeling of power! We just shot into the bayou (at tree trunks, not 'gators), but it was really cool. I groomed my friend's dogs (while everybody watched), and we chatted. I showed her some grooming stuff, so she was happy. I tried to tell her that I'm far from a professional, but she wouldn't listen. I was glad to help show her stuff, anyhow. Sunday afternoon we drove to Nactitoches (pronounced nag-a-dish as far as I can remember) and went to Melrose Plantation. There is a large antebellum home there, and most of the outbiuldings as well. We had a guided tour, and then drove back to Alexandria. Sunday night we had smoked BBQ ribs made by my friend's dad, and an all around good meal.

Yesterday my friend and her mom drove me to Houston (about 4.5 hours), and then I flew home from Houston. Loooooong day. But it had a nice ending, when my good friend picked me up and even brought me flowers :) I was so touched by that gesture. She hung around as I unpacked, and listened to me jabber on about my trip.

The dogs were THRILLED to see me home again, and I was pretty happy to see them too. I really missed them. Tomorrow I'm off to Edmonton again, for a Van Morrison concert. This guy almost NEVER tours, so I'm really looking forward to it. Not looking forward to the driving though. Sigh.

Happy 100!

Yep, this is officially my hundredth blog post . . . too cool! All of my "chatting" has taken place in the last 15 months. My first post was in December 2005, and here is my hundredth, in February 2007. Thank you to my faithful readers.

Today we are in Austin, which is the state capital of Texas (I didn't know that - I always thought it was Dallas). It's a beautiful city, and of course the 80 degree weather made it all the more attractive. We spent the morning at the State Railroad Regulatory Commission (I think that's the name), getting a presentation on regulation of natural gas pricing and state policies. It was very interesting. We then had lunch at the State Capitol building (which is the largest in the US, since they did the subterranean expansion) and had a guided tour. It's very nice. Each door has three brass hinges that are elaborately designed, and that say Texas on them. Each set of hinges weighs 8 pounds! Just an interesting fact.

This afternoon we were at the University of Texas Austin School of Business, and we got some presentations on the various programs, including the MBA program. We had the opportunity to chat with some of the students, which gave us a perspective on school down here.

Tonight we went as a whole group for supper to the Texas Land and Cattle Steakhouse. It was loud, fun and we had great food. Everybody else went out partying, but I needed to take a break. I think it's pretty obvious that I'm a HUGE party-pooper here, but I just don't like going out all the time. My friends understand that . . . classmates not so much ;)

Tomorrow we drive back to Houston (on a bus), and then I fly to Louisiana to have a visit with a dear friend. Monday morning marks the start of my journey back home. Although I'm enjoying my visit to the South immensely, I am missing my dogs and family, and am looking forward to heading home in a few more days. I will desperately miss this amazing weather though!

More Houston News

It was a busy day here in Houston . . . kind of gloomy and rainy, but still nice and warm :D I feel spoiled by the weather!

This morning we visited the headquarters of Sun Coast Resources, who supplies diesel, lubricants and biodiesel to wholesale customers in Texas. It was a very interesting presentation. Then we went for lunch at Mama Ninfa's mexican restaurant and ate like pigs. Yummy! I had chalupas for the first time, and they were awesome. Also got to have Mr Pibbs! This afternoon we visited a law firm and had a chat about the legalities of energy and renewable resources. Again, very interesting.

Tonight my roomie is going for Japanese food, and I'm "chilling" in the hotel room, ready to watch my favourite shows and take it easy. We have a presentation to give to some members of the Center for Energy Economics (CEE) and I want to be totally prepared.

Houston is GREAT!

So, we made it safe and sound into Houston last night, around 10:00pm (9:00pm your time, as we're an hour ahead). Didn't actually get to the hotel until 12:30am, because apparently the freeways here have very few exits. Who knew? Man, we went from North to South Houston, all on I-45. But we made it. The hotel is very nice - free high-speed internet, so you know I'm happy :)

This morning a few of us went to NASA - The Lyndon Johnson Space Center here in Houston/Galveston. It was really, really interesting. I've never cared much for space travel or stuff like that, but we had a great time. We took an hour-long tram tour of the actual government space facilities, and even got to see Mission Control! Picked up some dehydrated ice cream for my nieces as a treat.

We spent the afternoon at the Galleria, which is a high end shopping mall (think Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Ave, Macy's and more. I managed to spend a few dollars (those of you who know how I shop can take guesses at how much LOL). There was only one dog store, but I had fun in there too :) I fell in love with Borders - it was two floors. We had lunch at Sonic (called America's Drive Thru, and a company we studied in the first year of our MBA), and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which is WAY better than the Cheesecake Cafe. What a meal! We just walked in the door about 20 minutes ago, and my roommate is out somewhere, so I have some free time. School stuff starts tomorrow :(

So far it's a lot of fun . . . I've picked up some pretty neat souvenirs for a few people (sorry, I'm not rich enough to buy for everyone . . . but I'll share the pictures).
Hope the dogs are okay, and that Grace hasn't driven my mom nuts yet ;) Hugs to both of them - I feel lost without 'em.

Take care y'all!

Grace is VERY proud!

Yep, today Grace is proud as punch of her daddy Wills. Wills was shown at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show today (by his breeder and owner Cathy Carey), and he won Best of Variety! In the US, Cockers are shown in three groups (called Varieties), separated by colour. ASCOB is Any Solid Color Other than Black, and it includes buffs (blondes), chocolates and chocolate/tans. Blacks include solid blacks and black/tans, and parti's include any dog with 2 distinct colours, one of which must be white (black/white, red/white, choc/white. any of the aforementioned with tan points and roans). Willie won ASCOB Best of Variety. We even watched him on TV, and I tried to explain to Grace that if she works hard for me, she could end up there some day. Whether or not it would happen, it's good for little girls to have dreams, right?

Not much else is new. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and I have . . . no plans. I will watch TV and start packing my stuff for Houston. I'm leaving for Houston on Saturday, and will be there for a week. Next Friday I head to Louisiana to visit with some good friends of mine, and then head home. It will be a wonderful, WARM vacation!

Absolutely incredible!

Yep, the Barenaked Ladies were amazing (and entirely clothed, and not really ladies). The concert was worth every penny paid for tickets, hotel and gas, as well as time taken off from work. Although they have a relatively new album, and the tour is named for that album (B.L.A.M. Tour - Barenaked Ladies Are Me), they played mostly their older stuff. I think they played at least one song from each of their past albums. They are excellent show men, and they really know how to play to a crowd. I had a floor seat, 30 rows back, and I was on my feet for the entire show. Clapping, singing, dancing and generally having a great time. After the show I bought a memory stick with that evening's concert on it - recorded live. It means I have all of the impromptu stuff that they came up with. Too cool!

The opening act was Tomi Swick, who hails from Hamilton, ON (great alliteration there, don't you think?). He was great too. He was nominated for 2 Junos, so keep your eyes peeled for this up and coming Canadian artist.

My mom and I did quite a bit of shopping in those few free hours. I bought a new pair of shoes - they're similar to Skechers shoes, but they're made by Dr. Scholls and they have gel insoles. I fell guilty when I wear them, because I feel like I have slippers on all the time. They're awesome!

Today I helped my friend assemble her new bed and dresser set. It was just proof that women can truly exist without the help of men ;) We had fun, and the bedroom set looks awesome. When her night tables and long dresser come, the room is going to look great.

Hope y'all are enjoying your weekend as much as I'm enjoying mine :)

Friends, be proud of me!

Yes, occasionally a leopard can change its spots. And I managed to distort mine just a week bit this week. For my one final class, there are two portions. One portion is an individual term paper, and the other portion is a group presentation and paper. The group portion is due on Friday coming . . . I have been one of the chief motivators of my group for meeting and getting the presentation done. The slides are being submitted to the professor tomorrow, and the paper is DONE! I compiled the slide information to make the paper, and I got it done well ahead of time. Thank you, thank you . . . of course, work not being busy right now certainly helped.

Heading to Edmonton with my mom tomorrow. We're going to see the Barenaked Ladies in concert, as I posted the other day. They're a rock/pop group, and they're purely Canadian. They've been around for forever, and they are awesome! Can't wait to see them. I saw them 6 years ago, and they were fabulous. I expect nothing less for the second time around.

Today Grace turns 6 months old. In the show world she is officially legal now . . . eligible to compete for points towards her Canadian championship title. Of course, she's not showing for a while yet, but at least I know she's legal. Cool! Happy half-birthday to her brothers and sister . . . hope everyone is being spoiled tonight!

Superbowl Sunday

Yes, it's that time of year again, when humans of all ages come together over beer and nachos to scream at the television, and alternately cheer and groan, depending on what's going on somewhere much warmer than here (Florida this year, I think). Some merely watch for the humorous commercials (which tend to be pretty darned good) and yet others watch for the action on the field. Personally, I avoid it like the plague. Football has never been a major draw for me, and this is a day like every other. But my dad and his friends are having a grand time in the basement, watching the action on a HUGE screen and having philosophical discussions about field goals and touchdowns.

On a less happy note, my world is changing again. A couple of very good friends of mine are leaving town this week. I'm very sad about it. They're people that I am very comfortable and happy being around, and I will miss them immensely. I'm trying to be mature about it, but to be honest with you, I just want to cry. I wish them nothing but the best in their new home and new city, but I hope they come back for visits every now and then. Take care - I won't say goodbye, but see you later.

This week will be a good one (other than my friends leaving, of course). My mom and I are taking a trip to Edmonton to see the Barenaked Ladies, one of my ALL TIME FAVOURITE groups. They are going to be awesome! I promise to post a review when I get home, but expect nothing but praise :)

I almost forgot!

While posting about my successes over the past week, I forgot one that I personally find significant! I am the kind of person that loves to buy puzzle books - especially crossword puzzles and sudoku books. I never finish them - I always carry them around for ages until they fall apart and I throw them out. Well, before Christmas I bought a small Sudoku book, and on Thursday, I finished the last puzzle! Doesn't sound like a major accomplishment, I know. But for me, it was a proud moment!

Also, a good friend bought me a Page A Day calendar of Sudoku puzzles. I have no trouble with the Super Easy and Easy puzzles, but as soon as I try to do Medium puzzles I get stumped. Well, on Thursday I finished my first Medium puzzle. Woohoo! I am on my way to being a Sudoku Master!

A Good Week

They say that if you do something every day for a week, it starts to become habit. I haven't been exercising 7 days a week, but after 3 weeks of walking and getting on the elliptical machine, I think it may have finally become a bit of a habit. Even the days that I just do NOT want to do it, I make myself. I did the "machine of death" 3 times this week, and took Grace for a brisk 30 minute walk one day too. I took yesterday off, because I had a function right after work. I'm consistently up to 10 minutes on the elliptical, but that's about all I can manage. It still feels like my lungs will spontaneously combust and my legs will fall off. I HAVE to get into shape!

I got my paper proposal done and handed in on Tuesday night, so that's good. Our group project is well on track for being done by Friday the 9th. The powerpoint presentation is done, I just have to pull together the accompanying paper. That won't take long at all.

Overall it's been a good week. My eating has been a bit extravagant, but otherwise I've done well. And the diet will get back on track this coming week. I'm not weighing weekly like my friend is, but my pants are fitting better, and that's always a good sign!