What's That They Say About Dogs Resembling Their Owners?

Oh dear.

If dogs really do resemble their owners, I should be on anxiety medication too.

Maya went to the vet yesterday and was her usual scared-shitless-but-super-sweet self. On her chart it was noted on her last visit that she is "Painfully Shy." Poor thing.

So after spending $225, she has been vaccinated against any and every thing there is to be vaccinated against (including kennel cough and some other lypsoblahblahblah thing that she can catch at the dog park- Oy.), and she got a total body work up and some anti-anxiety meds. Holy smokes. But now we know for sure that she is physically healthy, and just crazy.

I love Maya and Charlie's vet, and I'll tell you why. They are expensive, but they have the latest technology and for some reason, that makes me feel really good. Every single vet there is a woman, and some of them are at the forefront of procedures and other animal medicine type stuff. All of them are kind and compassionate and supportive, and it just makes me feel a little smug when I leave there knowing that there's this thriving, cutting edge veterinary practice run by all women. It's cool. They also have a full operatory, a behaviorist on staff, and just offer all around support for your pets over and above making sure they won't foam at the mouth for a while.

So anyway.

We went to the pet superstore today and (after pooping in the aisle- her, not me I promise) we got some pee pads, some pill pockets, and a safety cue in the form of an orange squeaky cat. Oh and some more poop bags and surprisingly, we left having spent this week's grocery money on this stuff, but feeling good about our plans to make this better.

I am refusing to give up hope on this dog. She is SO trying sometimes, but at this point I feel like giving up on her would be the biggest failure ever. She CAN be normal, she CAN live without me for longer than 4 hours at a stretch, and she CAN overcome this. She has to.

Separation Anxiety, Threat Level Yellow.

That's yellow as in the color of pee.

We are having some problems here at the House of Stupid = Awesome.

As you know, Maya can't go to work with me anymore. She doesn't like that one little bit. So dislikes it so much so in fact, that she has started to pee in her crate. Every. Single. Day.

First she was fine. She could even hold it all day and I would come home and let her out of her crate, we'd go on a nice long...drag, where I would drag her along behind me. Then we'd sack out on the couch and all would be well.

Then the peeing started. I thought it was that she was not able to hold her pee, so I started coming home at lunch. She likes the time we spend outside during lunch, and yet still continued to pee in the afternoons. Now, it's escalated to even peeing when she is left alone for half days. It's because she doesn't like me being away from her, which is very sweet. It makes me feel loved, yet very very stressed.

So, in the spirit of things tearing me away from what I want to be doing, we are headed to the vet this afternoon. She needs her yearly shots and such anyway, so let's kill two birds with one pee-soaked stone and go talk to the vet about how to help her. We're also looking into doggie day care (which is incredibly expensive) and just trying to read all we can about conditioning her out of this. I'm also having to focus my energy on NOT focusing my energy on resenting the fact that she is no longer allowed to come to work with me. I realize that I can't do anything about that and therefore dwelling on it isn't going to help me or my poor little basket case dog.

She's too destructive to be out of her crate when no one is home, and she's not happy when no one is home. Otherwise, she loves her crate and frequently goes in there to just hang out. I'm kind of at a loss here, although I would like to not be. I would like to have A Plan, because Having A Plan always makes me feel better.

Oy, this dog.

Nothiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

Anyone who has ever been a parent or a child knows the exact way to read the title of this post: it should be said in the exact voice that you would use to reply to an Adult when they ask what you're doing just after there has been a suspicious sounding thud, perhaps a splat, some giggles, and an "uh oh."

What am I doing?

Nothiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

I have a few big things going on here- epic, even. However, this week has been filled with such utter and complete lunacy that I have not really had much of a chance to do anything other than tread water. I hope that all of it will be settling down and in a few days I will have big things to share with you.

Heehee.

Karma Reads This Blog.

Okay so I don't know if it's Karma or Fate, or the Universe, but someone with a wicked sense of humor reads my blog.

And they called my bluff.

I don't really like to live dangerously. I don't want to die in the arms of Ben & Jerry. I don't like throwing up. I lied to sound tough to you, Blog Readers, and I'm sorry.

I have narrowed down the possible suspects down to two: Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup, or nachos from a local yummy place. I hope it was the nachos.

Either way, it was a terrible weekend spent on the couch in a fitful sleep alongside a very patient foxhound. I'm glad to be done with it.

Never Let It Be Said That I Was Bested By A Hat.

Hello!

I hope you're all having a wonderful week. I know I sure am! A new President, a mind-blowing premiere of LOST, and some finished projects. I'm also throwing caution to the wind and eating some Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. I like to live dangerously, and I figure that if it's my time then there is no better way to go than in the arms of my lovers, Ben & Jerry.

Moving right along.

I re-covered my mouse pad this week, but figured that what with the dawning of new eras and Destiny Calling, it couldn't really carry a post of its own. So, here you have it, my mousepad. It coordinates with my wall tile pocket thing, and has cheered up my desk a good bit. All you need to do is use just a good spray adhesive and smack the fabric right on top. Mine is one of those soft topped mouse pads, and it was filthy, had been drawn on, and was provided by the Real Yellow Pages. Glad to say I spiffed it up. I also put a bit of Fray Check on the ends of the fabric after cutting the extra away. Not a bad way to use up some scraps. I plan to a few more desk spiffying things here soon- I'm loving the green and orange. I realize that the easiest thing to do would be to just clean it up, but what fun is that?

Now, I finished this hat last night while watching Lost. I was so enthralled in the whole crazyness of it all that I felt like I could have snapped those DPNs right in half at times. You may recall a few days ago that this hat didn't look so hot. Well, I guess I showed you, Hat! You're going on my head and you can't come down to my chin! So there! And just so you know I am serious, I am sewing a big green button to the side of you. Take THAT! The pic is pretty blurry because I was trying to take it of myself in the last few seconds of daylight. I also did not put on shoes or socks for this event, and was not pleased with the lack of preparation that went into this little photo shoot. But here you have it.

And I finished this purse FINALLY. I swear, this stupid little bag was all knit up in about one movie and two episodes of Deadliest Catch. But damn if the finishing didn't take forever. This is the Christine Bag and I used Lion Ease Thick n Quick that I already had on hand. Go me, using what I got! So, I did buy the handles, but whatever. I sewed a liner, and once again used what I had on hand. Then I stitched the liner to the bag body, sewed up the sides, stitched the handles to the bag, added the ribbon, some Fray Check, and it was done. Just like that. Only the finishing took about as long as the bag itself did. I'm still very glad that I took the time to line it though.
I think it's so cute. It really makes me miss my black wool peacoat that lost last year. Damn, I miss that coat. It would be so cute with this bag. This bag is almost gag inducing, it's so cute. So not like me at all, but in the unlikely event that I want to go out, it will be nice to have this. It's also the project that made me realise that I really enjoy hand sewing. I stitched the lining to the bag and it was really relaxing (when I wasn't furiously impatient). It's got me thinking that I would like to do some stitching some time. I can't even decide where to start, so that idea will just have to go into the One Day I'll Do That file. Right next to laundry.

And lastly, here's some yarn that I photographed to stash on Ravelry. It's going to be bunny slippers. I have been trying to be more monogamous with my projects, and finish what I already have going on, but it will not be long (like about 10 seconds after I hit Publish Post) before I start these slippers. I am dying to wear them, especially since they will be made out of Malabrigo, the Crack Cocaine of the Yarn World. It's so flipping soft and wonderful.

Anyway, I hope to be back soon with more finished things, dubiously photographed. Or more Shelter News. Oh! I checked the website yesterday and Schroder has been adopted! I'm so happy. I am so glad he has a home now, and really glad that he has a home for some reason other than I couldn't bear it anymore and adopted him. But lo and behold, there are two new little hounds, just dying to come home with me. Geez.

Emotional Enemas

Today was the ultimate in emotional enemas.

Have you ever had an enema? Now I realize this may well be TMI. But you know what? I'm gonna go there. I had one once, when I was a little girl. I went to the emergency room for what would turn out to be kidney stones. At the time though, they thought I was constipated, and so they gave me one. I'll spare you any further details, except to say that I imagine if you actually need one, they are very, erm, cleansing and theraputic.

I think that the collective heart of America got an enema today. I feel like mine did. I feel like the past 8 years I have just had to Tamp It Down. Let's get into a Make Believe War that carries a real body count. Tamp It Down. Let's bully the world as a whole. Tamp It Down. Let's pretend that pillaging the planet and consuming purely for the joy of consumption is without consequence. Tamp It Down. Let's do it all over again for four more years! Tamp It Down. Let's monitor the innocent, torture the accused, and use hate and intolerance as a unifier. Tamp. It. Down. There's only so much bottling up of emotion you can do. Even when people have written letters, made signs, and shouted in the streets, we Stayed The Course.

And then we got an enema today, and all the shit was flushed right out. And it felt really, really good.

I really hate (although it's very fitting) that for all the emotions that I've felt and the things that I've thought, that all I can distill it into is a poop metaphor. Well, a leopard doesn't change its socks, does it?

No, it doesn't, but every so often it gets a shiny new President. And that's good.

Right Now

:Reading:
:Listening:
:Watching:
:Cooking:
a huge pot of chili. the most exciting thing about this chili is that it is made with sirloin tips, zucchini, and a can of Guinness (among other things). Delicious.

:Drinking:
More chai tea. And the verdict is in. I think that soon I will make another batch, this time with white tea. Then I'd like to mix the two together. I like the black and white tea based versions equally, but for different reasons. I think too much about tea.

:Hoping:
For certainty, peace, and improvement. The first one is probably an illusion but having a bit could make me eat less Tums. You could should a cannon at my leg and the cannon ball would bounce right off it, I'm sure. That's how fortified I am with calcium. Also, hoping that the fan in my computer holds out, and BF hurries up and sends me the extra hard drive and RAM so I can spiffy this computer up. It's got oogie boogies in it, and it's high time they got out.

:Knitting:
a Banana Republic Knockoff Hat(it's going to work this time, I know it) and a Prismatic Scarf, which I am enjoying so much it's hard to put it down. I love that.

:Sewing:
a checkbook cover, a quilted rug for the kitchen, and some throw pillows, oh and some rice heating pads- all in various stages of completion.

:Stewing On:
my word for the year, Kerry's post, and something I hope is a heart's whisper and not just a bug up my ass. Also, hand sewing. I did a smidgen of it last week while finishing a project, and I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

:Waiting For:
the triumphant return of the best show EVER, Lost. It appears that the premiere will actually be TWO episodes. I can't wait to crack out on the pure genius that is this show. Also, some packages. I cracked under the pressure of fiscal conservation and bought some happies. Hurry up!




^^I love this pic, and I just think it's so odd. I took it at a Bojangles in Columbia, SC. It distrubs me because Bojangles is a chicken-n-biscuits place and the chicken is holding a sandwich- likely a chicken sandwich. Why? Is he a cannibal? A sell-out? I'm both lost and sad, but not enough to not get some chicken and biscuits there from time to time.


Have a Bo-rrific (I just noticed the misspelling of the made up word, and I want to drive there and repaint it in the night. It should be Bo- riffic, dammit!) Day.