Movie Report

I saw four movies while I was on holidays (three on the plane and one in the theatre).

The Blind Side - an extremely good movie, definitely worth watching. I thought it would be just another sports movie, but it's not. Sandra Bullock definitely deserved her Oscar. I highly, highly recommend this one!

Alice In Wonderland (3D) - This movie was one I'd been looking forward to for ages. I think I expected something similar to Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, or the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies. It had Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, but really, it was different than those other movies. Far less light-hearted and more serious. It wasn't bad at all, but different than I expected. If you like movies directed by Tim Burton, check it out.

Up In The Air - This was a movie I wasn't sure about seeing, since it got mixed reviews with people I know. It wasn't horrible . . . but it wasn't fabulous either. Really, it was just okay.

New Moon - The second movie in the Twilight series, I mostly watched it because I've read all of the books. It was okay. Definitely geared towards teenage girls. If you want a light-hearted movie (fluff), it's good. If you're looking for in-depth plot development, you may want to look elsewhere.

From Vancouver

So we're not perfect!
We never claimed to be perfect
That means we’ve learned to be humble
We say excuse me and I'm sorry as well as please and thanks.
Even when its not our fault we apologize.

Sure one arm of the torch didn't rise,
But when the earthquake struck Haiti,
Canadians raised their hands to say we’ll help.

And yah, there is a fence around the flaming torches,
But you can walk right up and shake hands with our prime minister and most famous Canadians.
We put Gretzky in the back of a pick up, in the rain, not surrounded by police and he was okay.
By the way... the great one is Canadian and HE wasn’t complaining!

We do have security at the games, of course, but most people don't even have a gun they have to leave at home.
The medals ARE under lock and key but our doors and our hearts are open to the world. I

t has been pointed out that some buses broke down last week, but let’s not overlook the fact that our banking system didn’t.
We didn't get the "green ice maker" right this time. but we will, eventually
Just like we did when we invented the zamboni.

Citius altius fortius
If you don't reach higher how do you get faster and stronger ?

Was the first quad jump perfect? S

hould we not have given snowboarding to the world "in case" it didn’t take off?

So, big deal one out of four torch arms didn't rise.
Good thing we had 3 more!
It’s called contingency planning!

But remember the Canadarm works every time in outer space, and insulin turned out to be okay.
We couldn't change the weather but maybe we can help to stop global warming.
We don't have the tax base of the US or the power of the Chinese but, per capita, we ponied up for some pretty kick-ass venues in the worst global recession ever

Sure, some folks couldn't afford tickets but our health care is universal.
We have shown the world that we can raise our voices in celebration and song but moments later stand in silence to respect a tragic event...together spontaneously and unrehearsed.
What's more, we don't need permission from anyone to have a slam poet, fiddlers with piercings and a lesbian singer tell our story to the world while our multilingual female Haitian- born, black, head of state shares a box with her first nations equals

We’ve shown the world that it doesn’t always rain in Vancouver, that you can strive for excellence but not get hung up on perfection
And we’ve learned what it feels like to be picked on by some no namenewspaper guy and we don’t have to take it lying down!

So the point is not the snow, or the hydraulics or a couple guys being 5 minutes late to a ceremony
We know we’re lucky that these are the biggest problems we had to deal with in the last couple weeks.
So take your cheap shots.

Guardian newspaper and cynics of the world
We're bigger and better than that.
What's more we're finally starting to believe it!

Do you believe?

Creature Comforts - Cocker Rescue Raffle

Baby it's cold outside, so come on in.

We are running a raffle for our current dogs and the ones we expect to be bringing in. The puppy mills in Amish country are starting to dump their dogs again. Usually they require lots of vetting and time to adjust to a new way of living. We have one of them now and she's just so darn grateful for anything you give her.

Another small (do it all yourself) rescue is joining in on this raffle. It's Oklahoma Cocker Spaniel Rescue, run by Robin.

As always, we appreciate it when you forward this to your friends, family and co-workers. It really helps to spread the word.

There are some really nice items up so, please take a look and purchase a ticket or two. I must ask though, that you don't use the words Raffle, Tickets or Chances in any part of your paypal payment. Just the name of the item. We got into a little bit of a pickle one time, so we hope that doesn't happen again.

If you have any questions on the items, please feel free to send me an email.

Thanks again for your support.

Here is the link for the raffle: http://www.cinfundraising.com/

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well, as you all know, I was away for 10 days, gallivanting around Houston and Louisiana. While I had a most wonderful time, I came home to a stack of work so tall I couldn't see over it! The project that I work on is approaching a major milestone, which means lots of work to have presentations ready for approval, nail down the schedule and have an accurate and detailed estimate. Fortunately for me, my Project Manager is a really good guy that's easy to work with. The team that I work with is pretty good overall - there are always going to be a few personality conflicts, but so far it's been managed really well. Anyhow, the gist of this is that I'm flat out at work . . . moreso than usual.

Zumba classes finished last Monday night (February 8th), so I have a couple of Mondays to myself. Classes start again on March 1st, and I'm really looking forward to them. It's surprising how easily I picked up the basic steps - although I wouldn't call myself coordinated, by any stretch - and how much I enjoyed the first session.

My big time-suckers are my volunteer activities, especially the Board of Directors that I sit on, for the local SPCA. When I joined the Board in October (as Secretary, cause there's nothing like jumping in with both feet!), I had no idea what kind of time demands would be placed on me (and the rest of the Board). For a few years, it looks like things haven't been managed very well. Records are sloppy, budgets aren't done, and there are no endorsed policies to be found. The Board has been working like mad to get policies in place, to protect the Board, SPCA employees, volunteers and the community as a whole. While we've made progress, there remains a lot to be done. I've been attending at least two multi-hour meetings a month, and done outside work on stuff as well. I don't begrudge the Board my time . . . I committed and I'm passionate about ensuring that the SPCA is run well as a business, and that the staff and animals are provided for. I have found the time commitment slightly overwhelming, though.

The dogs take up a lot of time too, but I don't consider them time-suckers. It's everything else that's taking my time from the dogs. I LOVE spending time with my dogs, working on training and whatnot, and I feel like I haven't had the time to do that properly lately. With the cold weather, we've been limited in our activities too. With the sun out longer and the days getting warmer, I'm hoping to be more on track with training and just enjoying my dogs.

You may see limited blog posts from me while life adjusts . . . but I promise I haven't disappeared and don't mean to be neglecting my faithful readers either. Bear with me, and I'll be back on track soon, I promise!

Where I've Been & What I've Done

To my faithful blog readers, I'm sorry that I've been absent for so long without any word of where I've been or what I've been doing. Work got busy, and then before I knew it, I had a trip to Houston to take for work, and then a mini-vacation in Louisiana.

Houston was great . . . the temps were very mild, in the 15-20 degree Celsius range. Yes, on the positive side! I really needed that warmth, although there were a few times that I was chilled (embarrassed to admit it, though). My co-worker and I took the opportunity of a trip to eat out at some nice restaurants. The first night we ate at PF Chang's, which is an asian-fusion restaurant. I ate at a PF Chang's in Indianapolis 5 years ago, and remember the food as being absolutely wonderful. I was so looking forward to our meal in Houston, but I am sad to report that it was lacklustre at best. Our waitress was outstanding - great personality, very attentive, and funny as heck. But the food wasn't anything special, and that was disappointing for me. The second night we went to The Cheesecake Factory (not to be confused with the Cheesecake Cafe here in Alberta) and the food was great. Service, eh, just okay. But our meals were really good.

The Wednesday night was a small group meal, with some folks that we work with in Houston. We went to a small pub/restaurant called The Goose's Acre, and the food was wonderful. I had macaroni & cheese, but it wasn't the standard meal that your mom makes. Gourmet cheese & noodles, and soooo yummy. But the most wonderful thing about The Goose's Acre was my new favourite drink - the Jager Barrel. Jagermeister & root beer. OMG, what a fabulous drink that doesn't taste boozy at all! I sucked two down without even noticing it - but then I stopped, for fear of being sloshed in front of co-workers. Thursday night was a whole group meal at a Brazilian restaurant called Americas. The food was absolutely wonderful - I had a piece of steak done churasco style (my spelling is probably wrong) and it was delicious. For dessert I had these warm beignets with coconut ice cream that was pure heaven. I would recommend that restaurant to anybody.

Friday the workshop ended, and I flew to central Louisiana to visit with some long-time friends of mine. We met online through a Cocker forum, and have met once before. They are fabulous people, and their hospitality was unmatched. I was made to feel like a member of the family, not just like a guest. We ate many excellent meals, most of them homemade. Crock pot roast beef with potatoes, fried catfish and pistolettes, chicken & sausage gumbo and more. I'm sure I gained weight from all of the wonderful food, but it was worth every mouth full! And my friend's mom (a TRUE Southern belle!!!!) made me a red velvet cake from scratch. It was actually melt-in-your-mouth good. Wow - I didn't know cake could taste so good.

On Saturday my friend and I went to the annual dog show in her city (talk about good timing for my visit!) and we had a really nice day. We watched the Cockers, I met some local Cocker people, and we spent most of our time watching obedience. I saw my very first corded Standard Poodle in the flesh, which was cool! Saturday night we went to Tunk's Cypress Grill (I think) and had a succulent meal. Crawfish linguine - yummy!

Sunday was incredible. In the morning we took a 3 mile walk with the dogs, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the morning. I know it was cold for most southern folks, but I loved every second of it. The scenery was beautiful (photos on Facebook and my Zenfolio site), and we just chatted and enjoyed each other's company. The best part of Sunday was the hot air balloon flight, though. My friends crew for Bob Pulaski and his balloon Ski Lift, so they convinced him to do a flight so that I could go up. We watched the weather fervently, hoping for clear skies and low winds. Mother Nature definitely cooperated, and I had the experience of a lifetime. The flight was unbelievable. For those of you that say you're afraid of heights - you have nothing on me. I am possibly the only person that was terrified of the "Soarin' Over California" ride at Disneyland, and I hated the CN tower with the glass floor. It scared the crap out of me. Somehow, being up in the balloon wasn't scary at all. The basket is extremely stable - no swaying or moving around - and it's so pretty and peaceful up there. I was even able to look over the edge of the basket without feeling sick, dizzy or afraid.

Our flight was just over an hour long, with a few fun moments. We did run into some trees (technically called "dragging") in an attempt to slow the balloon down a bit in anticipation of landing. We chose three landing sites that then became unavailable to us because the winds changed our direction. Our landing had a bump and a bounce before we ended up on the ground with the basket on its side (and us on our hands and knees LOL). We were followed by spectators almost the whole way, and by the time we landed, about 7 or 8 vehicles were following the chase car to watch us land. It really was an awesome adventure, and I highly recommend it to anybody.

Monday and Tuesday were quieter days. We took things easy, spent time with my friend's parents and co-workers, and just enjoyed the dogs, cat, chickens, ducks and each other. It was a great visit - not rushed or busy or strenuous. Relaxing and just what I needed.

Wednesday I flew home, with a nice, long 6 hour layover at the Calgary airport. I ended spending a bunch of time working, since I really didn't have anything else to do. It was nice to get home, although I did enjoy my time down south. Since getting home I've been busy with the usual stuff - work, committees/Boards, etc. I finished up the first session of Zumba classes, but am already signed up for the next two sessions. So life continues on as usual, busier than all get out.

Walk Away The Pounds

After hearing raves about this program from several of my fitness friends, before Christmas, I ordered Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds DVD. This DVD has four levels of difficulty - one mile, two miles, three miles and four miles. Some of the programs use the weighted balls, and some use resistance bands. The DVD didn't arrive until the new year, and with my new fitness classes, I hadn't had a chance to try it.

I was feeling very tired all day today, and actually fell asleep on the bus ride home (not city transit - employer-provided transport). So when I got home, I decided to try the one mile walk, for a little pick-me-up. When it initially started I actually thought it might be too easy, but that 18 minutes is actually *quite* the cardio workout! Not like my BL Cardio Max DVD or the Wii BL game, but I was still sweating and had an increased heart rate.

What I really like is that the DVD is simple enough (no complicated steps) that my mom and I could do it together. She needs to ease into fitness, and this could potentially be a good way for us to motivate each other.

I have to say, I'm looking forward to trying the two mile walk sometime soon!

Zumba - Class #2

So last night was my second Zumba (latin dancing) class. I was half worried and half excited - the first week was fun, but it was crazy-fast, and I spent a lot of the time trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing with my feet, arms, hips and butt. It felt like everything was moving in opposite directions, but at the same time. The first session we had (last week) was with a stand-in instructor, because ours had gone on a surprise holiday trip. I was interested in seeing what our regular instructor would do with us.

She was GREAT. She took the time to show us each of the steps before starting the songs, which also gave us time to catch our breath in between dances. Believe me, it's a lot of cardio, so time to catch your breath is required. I still felt like I looked like a seizure patient while she looked sultry and fluid. But at least I wasn't spending most of my time hopping from foot to foot, trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I actually felt somewhat coordinated. AND . . . the biggest thing of all is that I didn't feel like dying at 8 minutes in. Yeah, I was red, sweaty and out of breath . . . but I felt okay.

I did get pretty hot near the end, but I had started the day feeling kind of crummy, so I think the two are related. I had fun, I felt semi-coordinated, and I had hope that by the end of two sets of classes, I might remember all of the steps, in order.

Unfortunately I'll be missing the next two classes as I'll be traveling for work (and sneaking in a small vacation at the same time), but I'll be back for the February 8th class, and I'm already signed up for the next set of classes too, starting in early March. Who knows, maybe I'll finally learn to enjoy group exercise classes!

Double Your Fun!

Today I am making two (yes 2) blog posts! One of the email lists I belong to has asked people to send in funny dog stories. The first one I sent in was a post I made last week about Quigley (A Trifle-ing Matter). This week the story comes from way back in my past, but it's a keeper for sure!

I have been racking my brain to come up with funny stories, and I found one that definitely fits the bill. After high school, I lived as an exchange student in Esbjerg, Denmark, through the Rotary Exchange program. My counsellor and his wife owned a beautiful Old English Sheepdog named Olga - I did training classes with her, bathed her, brushed her and spent tons and tons of time with her. I really loved that dog. One day I took Olga for a walk, and stopped by a friend's house to watch a movie. We were in the basement, watching the movie, and Olga was laying on the tile floor in the entry way, to cool off. We heard the front door open and close, and before we could even get to our feet to see who had come in, we heard a high-pitched scream of terror. Both of us raced up the stairs, taking two at a time. When we got upstairs, we saw our good friend, who was quite pale (which was a feat, since he was of South American origin, with the rich, tanned skin). He was laughing so hard he was crying, and we were trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

It turns out that when he came in the house, he saw Olga and assumed she was a rug (she was sleeping with her head down). When she picked up her head to see who had come in, Henrik screamed.

That story still makes me giggle . . . poor Olga had no idea what the commotion was about!

Zumba Report

Well, as you know from reading this blog, I survived my Zumba class last night. I will say, it was touch and go there for a while, but I managed to pull through. Although I've been walking a lot since June 2009 (at least 3 times a week, plus other activities), I don't have a lot of cardio endurance. That became painfully clear at about 10 minutes in to the 60 minute class. I was gasping, my chest was burning and my legs felt like jello. My footwork coordination was severely lacking, and when she encouraged us to keep up with the arm movements, I felt completely inadequate. I am just NOT that coordinated.

But despite all that, it was fun. I laughed a LOT - the instructor looked sensual and fluid, while I appeared to be having a seizure. She could move her hips in ways that I can only dream of. Her feet appeared to have a mind of their own - hey, so did mine! (they just didn't have the same mind as hers LOL). The two girls that I went with and I shared lots of disbelieving looks as the instructor danced. But we did our best, and really, I don't think we were any worse than most of the people in our class. There were no real "performers" in the class . . . nobody had hips or feet or fluid movement like the instructor.

I was exhausted last night, and I had the best sleep I've had since before Ange left. So that was good. And when my mom asked if I was going back for next week's class, I was shocked. Yeah, it was tough, but I'm not quitting! In fact, I signed up for the next session too! So I guess you could say it was a success . . . and if I learn a few latin dancing moves after 10 weeks of class, even better!

It Starts Tonight

Tonight I'm trying something new. I'm taking my very first group fitness class. Okay, I did do water aerobics once, but it was drop-in, and mostly to keep my mom company, so I don't count it. Tonight my Zumba class starts. I'm going with a co-worker and two of her friends, so that'll make it more fun. I must admit, I'm excited and nervous at the same time. It's a 60 minute class - if I can hardly handle a 30 minute workout on the Wii or on a DVD, how on earth will I cope with 60 minutes? Granted, some will be warm-up and cool down (please God, let both of those be nice and long), but still . . . I hope I can keep up with the girls.

I did super well on fitness last week. Two walks, one workout on Wii Biggest Loser, and two days of shoveling the driveway and getting rid of the hard-packed snow and ice. I feel really proud of myself, as that's the first time I've done something active (above and beyond my daily activity) since October, when I had all the issues with my ankles. And honestly, it felt GOOD to be keeping busy. The dogs aren't complaining about the walks, either!

So wish me luck tonight . . . I know the key is staying within my range of ability, but let's just see how well I can do that without having a heart attack LOL

Biggest Loser on the Wii

So today was my first time trying out the Biggest Loser game for the Wii system. I got it for Christmas, but was really busy with company and family. Lame excuse, I know, but whatever. At least I tried it before June 20 Having read the reviews on this site, I thought it might not be challenging enough. The threads I've read have been pretty evenly split between people liking it and not liking it.

I put the game in the console and got ready to see what would come my way. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. It was QUITE the workout, and this was on the easiest level. The warm-up is 6 minutes, the main workout is 20 minutes and the cool down is 8 minutes. My heart was pumping and the sweat was pouring off me. Some of the exercises were hard to do in terms of the Wii Fit board "reading" my movements, but since I'm a trained physiotherapist, I know the correct body movements.

My overall impression is that it's definitely challenging (much more so than the Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus) and much easier to do than Jillian Micheals' original boot camp game. If you have a Wii, it might be a good way to mix up your routine!

A "Trifle"ing Matter

I have American Cocker Spaniels - anybody familiar with this breed (and most Sporting breeds) knows that they are ruled by their stomachs. My old dog Quigley (now passed on) was the most food driven dog that I have ever known. He was a very mellow, pedantic dog, even in his younger years, yet he could perform acrobatic feats to obtain food when he wanted to. Some of the stuff he ate was the stuff of legends - an entire box of Bran Buds cereal, a box of Fruit & Vegetable supplement bars, ant traps and more. But the story below is my favourite one.

It was a summer barbecue that my folks were hosting, because it was my best friend's first trip to the city I grew up in. All of our family and friends were invited to come and meet my friend, since they'd heard so much about her. My mom's best friend wanted to do something special for me, and since she's the most incredible cook/baker I know, she decided to make a fruit trifle. She used fresh fruit, full cream, and shaved Bernard Callebaut (high end) chocolate on top. It truly was a thing of beauty. We put it on the dining room table, along with the other food, and everybody went into the backyard to eat.

We were all eating, laughing and having a good time when we realized that Quigley was conspicuously absent. He was a champion beggar, so we knew something was up. My mom asked "Where's Quigley?" and as if on cue, he came running out of the house, very nonchalantly. What made it funny was his whipped cream feet and beard! Now, Quigley was black, so it's not like he could hide the evidence, but he acted like nothing was out of the ordinary - he always walked around like Santa Claus! Everybody was shocked into silence, and then my mom raced into the house to check on the trifle. It had two very distinct paw prints in it, and I swear to this day you could see the lick marks where he'd been self-indulging. My mom's best friend was devastated, because nobody except for me would try the trifle. I figured that I live with so much dog hair and spit that a bit more wouldn't hurt. I could see why he enjoyed it!

Quigley's been gone for more than 3 years now, and I miss him all the time. This is one of those stories that keeps his memory alive for us (my family, friends and I), and it's one that never fails to make us smile and laugh.

Thanks for letting me share!

Resolutions

Every year, shortly after midnight, my family shares with each other what their resolutions for the year are. Typically they're things like lose weight, eat better, spend less (or save more), etc. Lofty goals that often fall by the wayside in February, if not January. In the past, I've found the process of choosing what to resolve for the year somewhat stressful. I mean, when you think about it, these goals are supposed to carry you through 12 months. 365 days. However many hours that adds up to (yes, I'm too lazy to pull out my calculator). I've never wanted to be that person - you know, the one that deliberately chooses softer goals that are easier to attain.

This year I made one resolution, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, it didn't stress me out. I resolved NOT to have resolutions. Yes, I have goals and things that I want to accomplish, but none of it is a real change from what I've already been doing. I want to continue with the progress I've made with SparkPeople. I haven't lost tons of weight, but my lifestyle is different than it was 7 months ago. Exercise IS in my vocabulary now, and it's a part of my daily life. There are still days that I slack off, but I think about it all the time.

I have a long way to go - including learning to eat healthier and to be even more active. But at least I'm on the right road. That's something that I'm proud of, because this time last year it didn't even cross my mind that I could actually enjoy walking or doing DVDs or whatever.
So that's my non-resolution decision for 2010.

Happy Holidays

Farley, Grace, Jack Jack and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you (my faithful blog readers) a Merry Christmas! This card was done by a good friend of mine named Cindy. You can see more of her work on her website - http://www.photoartpawtraits.com/

We have Jack Jack, Farley and Grace, from left to right.

On a side note - Jack Jack is no longer afraid of the fountain. I placed it on a bath mat, and that seems to be working for now. He isn't running up for a drink, but he will drink from it without too much encouragement. So that's progress.

It's The Small Things

So, this past weekend I finally broke down and bought the dogs Christmas presents. All year long my mom complains about dog toys laying all over the house, so I vowed not to get them anything this year. My plan was to do homemade cookies instead. Well, my MOTHER was the first one to cave . . . she got them holiday-themed tennis balls and some other toys from the vet clinic (they carry great toys there).

A lady that sells pet supplies as a home business had an open house this weekend, with 30% off everything. I needed dog food anyhow, so I went to her place. The dogs have LOTS of presents now. I bought a Premier "Kibble Nibble" for Jack Jack, since he loves toys that make him work for his food. Farley got a "Pentapull" toy with squeakers and made of nylon. Grace got a Tough Turtle puzzle toy. It won't matter - Jack Jack will steal it from her anyhow.

The big thing that I bought (well, my mom and I are splitting the cost - she's such a good doggy grandma!) is a Drinkwell Platinum water fountain. I have wanted one for the dogs for ages, and it was on sale, so I took the plunge. Grace and Farley walked up, looked at it, and had big drinks. No issues, other than Grace dunking her ears in the water. I need a room-sized placemat to catch the water dripping from her mouth and ears. She looks like a Loch Ness Cocker!

Jack Jack, on the other hand, is completely convinced that it's a Cocker-Spaniel-eating-monster. He took one look at the fountain and retreated to the far corner of our kitchen, shaking and tail tucked. I sat on the floor in the kitchen for quite a while, trying to calm his nerves and ease his worry. He watched the other two dogs have a big drink, and so he got brave and took a drink. Well, as soon as the water "chugged" in the reservoir he backed RIGHT off. Poor guy . . . he's totally convinced it's evil. I wish he wasn't such a scaredy cat! Anyhow, I did hear him later, drinking out of it when nobody was around. Of course, once it chugged, he quit drinking, but I didn't hear the frantic scrabble of nails on laminate. In the meantime, I have an alternate source of water for him.

Any suggestions on a huge placemat or something else to catch the water from my Loch Ness Cockers that insist on dragging their ears through the dish and walking aorund with water dripping from their lips???

My Beautiful, Special Girl

Grace had her last therapy visit of the year yesterday morning, so I spent Friday night bathing, drying and trimming, to make her even more beautiful than usual. She had a wonderful session this morning - she managed to win over two residents that initially didn't want to see any dogs at all. It was pretty cool to see them enjoy her visit by the end of it.

Yahoo!

After an entire week of deep-freeze weather (at least -30, and quite often much colder), we are finally seeing warmer temps. Don't get me wrong, it's still brisk at -16 Celsius today, but at least this is walking weather! Jack Jack will be so, so, so happy to go for a walk tonight. He's been standing with his nose pressed to the front entryway closet doors, begging me to take him for a walk, every single day. The cold weather doesn't bother him one bit.

I've been babysitting some Pugs for family friends (they live across the street, thank goodness). One is an 18 month old male, and the other is a 6 month old female. Two very cute, very sweet dogs. Also very snorty. The noises they make are just unreal! Their barking sounds like strangled shouting or something - it's an odd sound for sure. The Pugs have been hating the cold weather, so there have been quite a few accidents inside. With the warmer weather, they're pottying outside more, which is also a nice treat for me.

The countdown to Christmas is on, with just 8 days to go. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. My shopping is done, I just have wrapping and labelling to do. Hope you're well on your way to being done shopping too!

Irony Reigns

I'm pretty sure I have posted blog entries with the word irony before. Or maybe Murphy's Law, since that's another one I use a lot. Yet again, I have been affected by my friend Murphy.

As you know, I bought a new car two weeks ago. A beautiful 2008 Dodge Avenger, brand new (never sold). I picked it up on the Tuesday after I bought it, and drove it around happily for a few days. Love, love, love it! The heated seats and command start are a blessing.

On Monday (this week), it got super cold. Like, -35 or something ridiculous like that. I tried to start the car Monday after work to go out and do some errands, and it wouldn't turn over. I plugged it in and let it sit, but no dice. Dead battery. Bummer. My dad had it boosted and driven up to the dealership for them to look at. I got all kinds of different calls from the dealership about the possible issue. Whatever, I just wanted it fixed. On Thursday my dad called me from the dealership to tell me that he had good news and bad news.

The good news was that they replaced the battery on my car. Good stuff.

The bad news? While some schmuck was moving my car, they banged it up and did some nice damage to my rear bumper. Now a new rear bumper is on order, and it should be replaced in the new year.

Sheesh! The damage sucks . . . but I guess at least the dealership put the first scratch in her. Hopefully that takes care of any damage for a very long while!

I Learned Something New

About myself! I learned that once I turn something into a habit, it really sticks! Yesterday when I got home from work it was -10F. Brrrr, right? Yes! But despite the cold temperature, I really wanted to take my youngest dog for a walk, so I bundled up (longjohns, hat, mitts, down jacket) and off we went. It was cold, but I felt great!

In the past (in my old life, I guess you could say), I never would have contemplated walking in that kind of weather. I was a fairweather exerciser at the best of times.

I'm proud of myself. I hope that this means that I've made a permanent lifestyle change. If so, I see nothing but better health in my future! And a less hyper dog, who LOVES his walks.

Slight Scare

So, on Friday night it was SUPER windy up here in the Great White North. I took the dogs outside, but the wind was a bit much for me, so I came inside and waited for them to finish up. Farley came in quickly (hey, he has no hair!), but Jack Jack and Grace were being uncharacteristically slow. I couldn't figure out what was taking them so long, so I went outside to check, and saw that our gate was open :( The wind must have blown it open, because we're all very careful about closing it.

Of course, my heart was racing . . . Grace is a runner, but will ALWAYS come back when called. I knew they hadn't been gone long (max of 7 or 8 minites), but I was worried that if Jack Jack got spooked, I'd never find him. With all of the inflatable lawn ornaments out right now, he's easily spooked. I ran out the front door, calling the dogs. Grace came running from about 3 doors down, smiling and wagging. Life is just an adventure to her.

I couldn't find Jack, and I could feel the tears welling up in my throat. I called and called and called him, getting more frantic with each call. I'm sure it was only a few minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. Then, like a magical apparition, he came around the corner of the house. What I think happened is that he was wandering in the neighbour's yard when he heard me calling out the back door. As I ran to the front of the house, he ran to the back door. The wind must have been carrying my voice away from him.

Anyhow, all's well that ends well, but that was darned scary for a few minutes!