Chapter 2013, page 31 of 365

hhmm..would somebody please tell me where the HECK did January go?????  Wasn't it just Christmas?  New Year's?  Man, this is crazy!  Gives credence to something I head a few years ago....it's a Forest Gump type thing....you know, the 'Life is like a......' adages he was want to profess.....ok, nuff teasin... here it is....



Life is like a roll of Toilet Paper....the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes

<ducking and weaving to avoid all the rotten veggies being lobed at her, Lori runs for the bedroom to hide under the covers til the storm blows over....apologizing profusely all the way>

Chapter 2013, page 30 of 365

 

do you have dogs?   do you love dogs?  do you know what this is a picture of?

That is the door between the kitchen and the rest of the house....installed because the new pup is not housebroken yet and she LOVES the kitchen tiles.  We do NOT love her using them that way, so we build a door.  About 2.5 feet tall, with nice hinges and a latch.  There is a gap at the bottom just big enough for Rosie (the skinny cat) to go under, but small enough that Sage (the NOT so skinny cat) has to struggle a bit.  When we first put the door up, Annie would stand up on it and you could see her from the neck up.  Now it's like from her underarms!    She is growing fast!  

but back to this picture...

we are in the bedroom watching TV and I come out to get dessert and this is what I see.  

That is Annie on your right, with her nose right up to the tiles...and on your left?  one of her myriad of stuffed toys, keeping her company on her lonely vigil.

If you don't love dogs, this forlorn look should change that at a glance, if you DO love dogs I might have to hide so you don't get me for making her look like that!!!

Chapter 2013, page 29 of 365

Another day of messed up phones and lots of talking. But, we had some really great laughs towards the end of the day reading our "Strength finder" results - bet you didn't know that I am first and foremost, a Relator! I know it's cheating, but I'm just gonna paste this result in here and you can let me know how accurate it is.



Relator

Shared Theme Description

People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.


Your Personalized Strengths Insights
What makes you stand out?

Instinctively, you are comfortable being open and honest about who you are. Often you intentionally avoid people who are less than truthful. You prefer to spend time with individuals who speak as candidly as you do about their strengths, shortcomings, hopes, disappointments, failures, or successes. By nature, you might make certain types of difficult-to-understand ideas a little bit easier for people to comprehend. Driven by your talents, you might help people grasp elaborate or complicated ideas, processes, theories, or rules. Maybe you intentionally use easy-to-understand words and phrases. Chances are good that you thoughtfully select your friends. You avoid rushing into relationships. Once you trust and care about someone, the individual probably seeks your counsel. Because of your strengths, you are a well-read individual. People whom you have befriended turn to you for guidance. Often you help them see a situation or problem from a different perspective because of something you discovered while surveying a book, article, letter, or Internet site. For you, reading is the key that opens the door to a world of fresh ideas. You collect them, never knowing when something you read will benefit someone else.

Happy Birthday Mom

Did you know..(and this is my opinion, so take it for what it is worth)...that when someone we love dies, they take a part of our soul with them as they leave?  I really believe that is true...and did you know...(again, my opinion)...that each little part we lose leaves a place to be filled with loving memories and moments of joy. 

Interesting way of thinking about it, isn't it?  Yes there is the pain and there is the missing them and there is the desire to keep things the way they were and there is the (and this is the hardest for me for some reason) the inability to hug.....

All this just to say "Happy Birthday Mom, I still miss you and love you and fill my heart with your songs when I think of you....thank you for teaching me just how important love is"

Chapter 2013, page 28 of 365

Another great day in paradise.....meaning my awesome job!   non stop talkers    phones going wacko   reset to factory defaults     people relocating and emptying offices and cabinets into the 'quiet' room   no lunch    .........   it's Monday isn't it....I can tell.....sigh

Chapter 2013, page 27 of 365

Today was a good day...Had Grace Notes practice this morning and all went well....love those ladies!!!!

Annie's first play date

Ava invited Annie over for a puppy play date. We were concerned, Annie is a 'scary' dog. Most everything scares her. And she hasn't done great with other people either. But it was time to start getting her past all that and Ava needed the company of a younger more energetic dog, so we accepted. Boy are we glad we did.


Started off a little rocky, Annie was scared and defensive...there were actually three dogs, two older dogs there as well. All quite friendly - and slightly overwhelming for her.

But, with patience and persistence they worked it out and had an awesome time. Us humans did too. It was an extremely pleasant afternoon and the kids had fun.

Thank you Pam and Wayne for the great time. We will do this again.

Chapter 2013, page 26 of 365

Annie had her first "play date" today and it was a success!!!!

Chapter 2014, page 25 of 365

Well, I am sure not keeping up very well...the days go by so fast I seem to miss them every now and then. Sorry

Chapter 2013, page 24 of 365

We had such a good time tonight. Dinner at Genghis Grill with three of our favorite peeps! We got those bowls SO full!!! And then sat around laughing for another hour or so. CP, you gonna hafta step up, girl! Else TL and me gonna choose for you. Lol

Chapter 2013, page 23 of 365

was a pretty busy day at work, things went fairly smooth...made it to church in time for chili and hotdogs!!!  Then a great bible study about the fall.  Next we have choir practice...we are still and inverted choir and some folks like it and others do not...it's all gonna shake out pretty soon and we will roll with the punches.  I don't mind at all, but not everyone agrees.  stopped to pick a few things up at winn dixie...self check out...checking the receipt on the way out and have to go back for an adjustment...if you buy the cereal that is BOGO make sure they are THE SAME or you get charged for both.....bad ad

get home and   she did a no no on the floor AND a no no no too.  SO SAD!!!!  oh well...she went much longer between accidents this time and I think it may have to do with us being gone so late, and then if the coyotes started singing about the same time as she needed to go out.....well, accidents happen.

Chapter 2013, page 22 of 365

continued....

we spend an untold amount of time at the table in the front yard....Auntie is SO very patient....we try food and cajoling and loving and toys and FINALLY she comes over and sniffs and licks and even visits Unka Jess and licks his leg....SUCCESS!!  What?  Did you say that didn't sound like a success?  well you haven't been working with a phobic dog, now have you?  She is weird...afraid one minute, then not bothered by it at all, and then scared again when you turn around....and she is not at all comfy with people, other than us, yet....so socialization of any kind is GOOD!!!  Next time it will be a little easier and the next time after that even more so.

AND she hasn't had a 'accident' in days!!!!!  Cross your fingers and toes for us...we are so hoping!!!

Chapter 2013, page 21 of 365

Wow, this was a really really odd day....started out with a 'pacing' migraine....that means the if the meds don't take effect very quickly then I end up pacing for about an hour from the pain....took a while for them to kick in, and I finally fell back to sleep....four hours later or so, I awoke, hung over, but relatively pain free.   There went half of my holiday day off...bummer man!

Got the laundry started after sitting on my butt for a couple hours, then we went out and worked on the 'game feeder' idea.   As you may recall we had to get some food that would feed properly, before we could test it out.  So we tried the little stuff first, kinda like rabbit pellets.  Fed great the first time, but didn't feed down for the second fling....drats...ok, on to the next one.  this one fed better, not great...but what happened next was disappointing.  Annie suddenly became afraid of the feeder, wouldn't go near it, and when it cycled, she tucked tail and ran into the house.  No matter what we did, that idea was a bust.  Gonna hafta take the feeder back...first I have to find the receipt  grrrrrr

Then we talked about what to make for supper.  We had gotten a couple of those Hormel Pork Tenderloin on sale and had one in the fridge waiting for the weekend since the directions called for at least 45 minutes in the oven.  That doesn't work on a work day....we thought we had the 'original' in the fridge and so I found a recipe for pork medallions that sounded really good...but we needed something to make gravy.   So Trav is going into town to pick up some bread and lunch stuff and gravy mix.....Althea and Jesse are coming over in about 2 hours so we should have plenty of time.  Off he goes.  He texts me when he is leaving the store and I turn on the grill to pre heat.  I am getting hungry thinking about this meal...we discovered it was really the lemon garlic loin filet so we didn't really need the recipe after all!!!  He gets home, and takes the meat out to put on the grill and he gets a text....they are an their way over....from his parents house two miles away....we look at each other and shake our heads and laugh....that's the way it goes ya know...he asks if they are hungry, "no" ok see ya soon.  We decided to go ahead and make them anyways and just put them in the oven til we are ready to eat them, I make the gravy and the potatoes and it is all hanging til after the visit.

to be continued......

Chapter 2013, page 20 of 365

so - yesterday we came up with some innovative ideas to get Annie to go outside without a human...we think that is one of the reasons we have a pottie training issue....

1.  put her favorite toy out front so she has to go out to get it (Althea came up with this one)
2.  put her bed on the front porch, same reason as 1.



3.  bought a game feeder, going to hang it in the front yard and program it to spread treats every two hours or so during the day....she's a dog...she'll find that food and then figure it out










 great ideas, right?  right.  sitting here on the computer, I turn and see her playing with one of her toys...takes a minute or two to register that it was out front earlier in the day....Tug didn't bring it in, how did it get in here?  why Annie must have gone and gotten it....hrmph....so, she IS going out, just not all the time...hhmm, think on that a while and decide to go ahead with the plans and see what happens.  That will happen tomorrow since neither the cat food nor the puppy chow will work in the feeder  sigh...

went to bellview to pick up a loveseat and stopped at petsmart on the way back, got a couple of things that might work...will let you know....

Chapter 2013, page 19 of 365

oopps, did it again...missed a day.  sigh, never said I would be able to do this, but am trying my best....sowwy :(

Chapter 2013, page 18 of 365

I am so very VERY glad that it is Friday!!!  It's been a bit of a rough week and I am SOSOSO tired.
It is also a long weekend since we get Monday off!  Thank you Lord!!!!

With all the issues we are having with Annie and her bathroom habits, can you believe that a co-worker wanted my advice on housebreaking her new puppy!!!!  I had to laugh....really? me?  hahahahah

But the truth is that this is her first ever puppy and she is losing patience with him peeing on everything...including the bed!  Poor thing, how was she to know that a TEN WEEK OLD puppy can't hold it's water for more than about an hour at a time??  I gave her a couple of pointers - take him out every hour or so - she has him in a pretty big crate, so I suggested she partition off the crate so he has a place to pottie away from his bed, and that wee wee pads are ok for now.  Let's see how that works out.

Had two meetings today, not too good for me, I try to sleep as soon as my butt hits the chair  lol

Yesterday was not a good day at work...they laid off one of my co-workers...very sudden as far as the support staff knew, but it seems management knew it was coming, they already had interviews lined up for today!!!!!  I was very upset, the woman they laid off is 70+ years old, and will never be able to find another job...so she is going to have to retire.   I'm not sure I would cry if I could retire, but the  shock of it was awful.  She did nothing wrong, but was just the victim of circumstance.  and it SUCKED!!!!

but on a positive note.....our unit was assured by our supervisor that our jobs are pretty secure...no one else can do them!

That means that I am blessed more than one deserves....it is a good job with good benefits and working with good people....drives me crazy but I enjoy it at the same time.

We are feeling much better, the flu is finally about gone...well, it's been gone, but the after effects are still hanging out...they are lessening, but we still get tired really easy and find that concentrating on anything is hard work.  It will be all better soon....I have faith!!!!!

Well, that's it for this installment of "As the puppy pees" and I want to thank our sponser for their support...

Odor-Ban
Scott Paper Towels
No-Go
Bitter Apple
and last but not least
Xanax (just kidding)

Chapter 2013, page 17 of 365

She peed