Snow play, puppy update, business idea...etc.

We played in the snow today! We drove up to Flagstaff where they have a LOT of the white stuff. We went to a designated "snow play" area and sledded down the fluffy, white hills. I believe the girls had more fun EATING the snow than sledding IN the snow! Regardless, a good time was had by all.

We also rode a small-scale kiddie train through a light display last night. the kids just loved it and thankfully it was worth it since we had to wait in line for 1.5 hours just to get ON the train. There were other things going on so we were able to keep the girls occupied during the wait, thank goodness!

Moving on...

Quila (the puppy) is doing great! She is super smart and very eager to learn. We are working on foundational skills before I even attempt to introduce her to anything agility-wise. Things we're working on include:

* down (she is about 85% on this)
* target (LOVES this!)
* stay/recall (about 65% on this)
* "around" (going around a cone...doing great as long as I'm fairly close)
* restrained recalls (LOVES this!)
* wobble board (ADORES this!)
* leg bumps...going over my legs (she thinks this is so much fun!)

My next steps are:

* teach left and right
* build more toy drive
* circle work
* stride regulators
* 2x2 weave method
* plank work

Which leads to my business idea. I'm getting a major kick out of this foundation training. I did a similar program with Jam and she hit the ground running and progressed very quickly through the ranks (USDAA-wise). I'm thinking of working with puppies/young/beginner dogs to teach these valuable skills. I can do it with the equipment I've got so no cost to build anything. I've started compiling videos of the skills I've taught Quila and I'm going to build a website around these videos. Now, I'm quite certain I won't make a whole lotta cash offering this service, but it'll be fun to watch the dogs learn these skills and then put them to use on the agility field.

It's all very preliminary, but I'm hoping I can make something of it.

Meanwhile, the job search still continues (for a Tech Writing job) though right now (holidays, end of year, etc.) there is NOTHING out there. I am looking very forward to the new year though as this current year has totally sucked!

Just stuff

Weeelll, the show wasn't as successful as I had hoped last weekend. Jam did not get any of the Q's we need. Pooh. In Gamblers, she did the hard part, but then I failed her and didn't handle the rest of it like I should've. Sooo, today we start intensive gamble training with a wonderful instructor. Let's hope it helps!!

Our GP run was going smashingly well...until a tunnel bit us in the butt...AGAIN!! She was to come to me and enter the right side of the tunnel, but instead she made a personal choice and went left. Pooh pooh.

As for Pairs, we did our half wonderfully, but my partner ended up going off course. Pooh pooh pooh.

On the upside, we got our second Steeplechase Q of the qualifying season, and we got another Masters Standard leg and a Snooker Super Q. I also was able to realize the generosity and overall goodness of the agility community. So many want to help in my time of need, and for that...I am eternally grateful.

Meanwhile, we are busily prepping for Dani's birthday and her dance (tap actually) program on Saturday. So far we have 7 yes's for the party on Sunday...I'm expecting that number to go up a bit before then. Tonight we make oh-so-fudgy brownies for her birthday treat...YUM!

Right now, a Toller (Jam) is whining at me...BEGGING me to throw. the. ball. I've come to the conclusion that Jam is slightly neurotic. She attacks the vacuum cleaner, goes nutso when you slam shut a hard-cased glasses case and goes absolutely bonkers when you pull out the fly swatter. Oh...and blow drying your hair? Impossible with a crazy Toller around.

I ended up splicing together a photo of the dogs for our Christmas card (ain't no WAY I could get them to sit still together)...whaddya think?

Ramblings

I now know that I truly wasn't meant to be a Stay-At-Home-Mom. Erin has been out of daycare for a month now, and I just can't seem to get into a groove with her. I have no doubt that she's bored to tears, but thankfully she's very forgiving. We do workbooks and I come up with crafts every now and then, but I just can't fill the days with enough stuff to occupy a 4-year-old. I'm hoping we'll be able to send her back to the daycare soon. Please keep your fingers crossed that I'll be gainfully employed shortly after the new year.

Speaking of which, an agility friend who works at GD (General Dynamics) has been my biggest advocate. She keeps passing my resume around and hopefully it landed in the right hands today. I won't get too excited until an interview is set up, but at least it's SOMEthing in this sea of NOTHing.

Jam and I have a show this weekend. I was going to take Quila to get her acclimated, but she is a screamer. I bring her to class with me Wednesday nights and she SCREAMS in the crate. Tonight I had to put her in the car so I could actually hear myself tell my students what to do. I'm going to have to do some crate games with her to help. I also need Jam to focus this weekend as I'd love for us to get Gamblers, Pairs and GP Q's. with Quila there, I'm thinking she'll lose some concentration...mostly cuz she'll be pissed off at me for bringing the monster! :)

Dani's birthday is coming up. Her actual birthday day is the 13th, but since she'll be dancing to "Run Run Rudolph" at a great Christmas program that evening, we're having her party on the 14th. It'll be a "Pirate Party" and she's inviting 17 girls. I'm kinda hoping not all of them show up!

I got a decent picture of the girls for the Christmas card today. Whaddya think...?

Now I've got to get the dogs lined up for a picture of them. Mucho easier said than done!

OH, and speaking of Quila...her foundation training is coming along nicely! She targets to my hand, sits and downs and has no issues with the wobble board whatsoever. We're working on stays and recalls...she offers me downs and sits when she breaks her stay...she's so CUTE! And we're working on drive by racing to her ball. She's really picking up her speed! She's also incredibly food motivated which really helps.

Some upbeatness

We had a show this weekend. It was my club's show for which I am the secretary. This is typically our small show...we usually get about 145 entries. Well, we had 193...YIKES! We offered Team/PVP, but that wasn't the draw as we had only 9 Teams and 9 PVP's.

I wasn't going to be on a Team because A. I don't need it and B. I couldn't afford it. But, I was approached by a couple people, one of which needed the Team Q, to be on their Team to help her qualify. I said Yes, but only if they pay my entry. They agreed, so Jam and I ran Team. I then entered her in just the other classes we need for our ADCH...Jumpers, Gamblers and Pairs.

Well, Jam did GREAT! We didn't get a gamble, but came mighty close. She ran very well regardless. She did get a Jumpers leg, which gave us our Jumpers Master...WOOHOO!!! In Pairs, my partner did great, I was an idiot. I ended up handling Jam on the wrong side and she took an off course. Oh well.

As for Team, Jam turned out to be the anchor! She got lots of gamble points (didn't get the gamble though), got the most Snooker points of ALL the dogs entered in Team :), won Jumpers and Standard and stayed clean in Relay! We ended up 3rd and Q'd so we helped the one member of our team who hadn't...I'm so happy for her!!

Quila is finally getting to be "of age" to come with me to shows. She gets her last set of shots on Wednesday, and then she'll be "free." She is SO CUTE!




And here's one of Jam doing what she does best...bark for the ball!



:-)

Can't cut a break

I'd like to write more upbeat posts...but I can't.

My husband was laid off from his job last Thursday. He received a generous severance package, which is good, but is now looking for a job in this crappy market...which is bad. Same place I am. No jobs.

The same day he got laid off, I ended up bending the door on my SUV (long story) so it's now in the shop. Been there a while. Not sure when I'll get it back.

I had an interview that I thought was a good one, but it turns out I'm over-qualified. Story of my life right now. I was also submitted via a headhunter for another job, but they haven't called for an interview.

Erin is now out of daycare. And I suck as a stay-at-home-mom. Especially since I just want to keep looking for a job...ANY job.

It can't get any worse, can it?

The Ups and Downs of Nationals

It's over. Whew. Another year of chaos by the wayside. Thank God it's over. There were some ups and downs as usual...

Downer #1:

A wonderful agility dog lost her life on the way to the Nationals. Local folks know her as Mesa, the little black dog that ran like the wind. She was loved and owned by Wishy and her family. She touched the lives of many of us here in Arizona and we will miss seeing her run with glee on each course she tackeled. It was a tough weekend for Wishy's family, but they still came and cried and laughed with so many. I don't think they knew how many lives were touched by their little "Spaz dog." We will miss her.

Downer #2 (sorta):

They did a balloon release in which anyone who's lost a dog to cancer could release a balloon in honor of their canine angels. I had 2 balloons to release...one for Fred who died of Osteosarcoma in May, 2003 and one for Chakotay who died of Myeloma in November, 2003. A poem was read and tears were shed. I miss my little Iggies. I hope they were looking down on me during the release cuz I was looking up at them.

OK...we need some uppers...

Upper #1:

Jam had an AWESOME Nationals!!! I am so PROUD of her!! She started with European Standard in which she ran clean. She didn't place, but she fared very well in the results.

Thursday she started with the Steeplechase Quarters. She ran fast and made the cut-off for the Semi's!!! I couldn't believe it! She just rocks!!

Then came Team Jumpers. Again, moderately fast and clean...no faults.

Then came Team Snooker. She ROCKED! She got 48 points...WooHoo! Again, no placement, but was within the top 15 dogs!

Friday we started with Steeplechase Semi's. She had to do the weaves twice so I didn't think she'd be fast enough for the Finals and sure enough, she wasn't. She ran it in 38 seconds though which is fabulous for us!

Then we did Team Standard. She ran that course beautifully!! No faults and a decent time. She was really doing well.

Then came the GP Quarterfinals. I really wanted to make it into the Semi's and we did!!! She ran so well and we ended up 11th...I am so freakin' PROUD!!!

Saturday was the GP Semi's and Team Gamblers. In the Semi's she had the fastest weave poles I've ever seen...they were awesome!! Then, she went into the tunnel...and popped right back out...a refusal. No Finals for us, though making it into the Finals was a longshot at best. I was insanely happy with her poles though, so no biggie.

Gamblers went very well. I think we got a bunch of points, but I never did check.

Regardless, our team ended up 67th out of 174 teams...not bad for all Tollers!!

Upper #2:

The volunteers. They were great!! They worked hard in the 90-degree heat and remained upbeat and happy. I couldn't have asked for a better crew. I don't think they know how much I appreciate them.

Upper #3:

I got to see and talk to so many people...I had a fabulous time chatting with friends that I get to see only a few times a year.

All in all, a good time. I'm glad it's over as I'm just spent, but I had a great time.

Agility folks and Nationals prep

I've been officially unemployed for a week. Can't say my mood has improved too much, but luckily I've been pretty busy with Nationals and my club's upcoming show. But, I have to admit that agility folks are pretty darned cool.

The day I got laid off, Jam and I had agility class. I walked out of agility class with a job! I am now teaching 2 classes for this group and that's great. I also came out of class after talking to two other folks who said they'd send my resume on to their HR folks at their companies. Cool!

Then, I had a show that weekend and was talking to the judge about my malady. He works for a company that has headquarters in the valley and he said he'd circulate my resume as well. Wonderful! Then, yet another agility buddy said she had lots of contacts and would pass my resume around. Fabulous! And THEN, one of my blog readers had me send my resume to her as well...it's a longshot, but heck...I'll take/do anything! Terrific!! I tell ya...agility folks are truly the best folks on Earth! I haven't received any word from anyone regarding a job offer, but getting my name out there is key. I thank all of them profusely as my mood gets lifted with each and every offer of support.

And then there's Nationals prep. Most of my efforts have been focused on volunteers. I am working feverishly on getting my schedule in order and being sure that I communicate adequately to everyone who is helping out. Not to mention that I have a dog to prep as well! I set up some back yard drills today. I have a friend (and Toller teammate) coming on Monday and we're going to head over to where I take classes and do some practice. I could also go to class Tuesday night, but I think I'll spend the time with my girls instead since I won't see them (except for Halloween night) for 5 nights. If Jam and I aren't ready now, we'll never be! :)

And then there's Quila. She and Jam are playing a LOT. I think they actually like each other!! She's still not 100% on potty training, but we're close. She is still nipping quite a bit, but it's getting better. She's definitely a cutie-patootie and somewhat of a troublemaker! :)

Can't finish without pictures...





:-)

The Black Cloud

It's settled over our heads and seems to want to stay for a while. It is amazing how bad things happen in big, huge clumps. Amazing.

Started last week. Had a hefty vet bill and some more not-so-good news regarding Calvin. His protein levels seem to be down so there is a definite possiblity that either the Valley Fever has settled in his bones, or he has cancer. We opted out of the invasive tests (given his age) and instead have forged ahead with drug therapy.

That very same day, my back right tire on my SUV went flat. Really flat. While driving. With the girls. I was able to get my husband out to help me and another kind soul pulled over as well, but this all resulted in $400 for two new tires. Blah.

We had a wonderful hike in Sedona this past weekend (my birthday wish) but in the process we hurt Jeff's mom's feelings by not inviting her.

And then, the biggie...I lost my job on Tuesday. This job was a risk when I took it, in that it depended a lot on the economy. I just hoped for the best...and got the worst. So now, I am jobless...in what has to be the worst economy since the depression. To say I'm scared is an understatement. I have gone through all the emotions, but the one that stands out is an enormous feeling of terror.

Perhaps the only good thing that happened this past weeks is that I got to do a TV segment to promote the Cynosport games (dog sport) to be held at WestWorld here in Phoenix in less than 2 weeks. Jam and I taped it on Thursday and got to watch it this morning. (Of course, I had major issues with DirectTV and finally got it resolved within seconds of the start of my segment.)

I think I did a pretty good job...what do you think?

More puppy pictures!!

It's hard to get a bad picture of her! :) Day 3 and she's doing great! The potty training is progressing, though she's had a couple of oops's. She's also sleeping better and woke us up at 5:45...about 45 minutes later than yesterday. Slowly we'll work her to 6 - 6:30. She's also figured out the doggie doors...just gotta get her to use them to go outside on a regular basis!

She's also taken to the ball, though Jam is NOT impressed! Jam is still quite growly with her, but I have no doubt they'll be fast friends. She's such a cute fluffball!!







:-)

Introducing Baby Quila!

Here she is...


And again...running in from the backyard...


And playing with the girls...


She traveled very well, never making a peep from her Sherpa bag. When I brought her home, Jam was a bit growly with her, but they are slowly warming up to each other. Quila loves her puppy toys and has chewed on every single one. She also likes to lie in wait while Jam runs out to retrieve a ball, and then pounce on her when she comes back to me! :)

She kept us up a bit of the night whining, but otherwise, she's acclimated very well. She doesn't seem to be fearful of much and is being a pretty good puppy so far!!

Kinda weird to have a "baby" in the house again!!

Alb. results and I think we've got a name!!

So, like...I went to Albuquerque hoping to come away with a DAM Team Q and hopefully a couple Q's towards our ADCH. But I DIDN'T expect what we did get:

DAM Team - Q and FIRST PLACE!!
Masters Standard (Sat.) - Q and 2nd place
Masters Gamblers - Q and 1st place
Steeplechase - Q and 2nd place
Masters Pairs - Q and 1st place
Masters Jumpers - Q (no placement)

We needed Pairs, Gamblers and Jumpers for our ADCH. Before the weekend we needed 8 legs, now we need only 5! We CAN do it!!

We were so close to a GP Q. We were running beautifully, but at the 3rd last obstacle, a tunnel, I sent her in the wrong end. Grrrr. My bad.

Jam ended up getting pretty sick Saturday afternoon/evening. She had diarreha (sp?) and was vomiting. She was one unhappy Toller. She wouldn't even run after her ball...not good. I wasn't sure about Sunday. Sunday morning she woke up much more perky and happy. I didn't run her in Masters Standard (which was the first class), but I did run her in Snooker (in which I sent her over #2, and then she backjumped it), Steeplechase Round 2 (she placed 3rd...won $16!) and Jumpers (Q'd).

All in all, a rather excellent weekend! :)

Wishy and her family were at the show and thanks to them, I believe we have a name for the puppy!!! I called my hubby and he didn't pooh-pooh it right away, so I think it's gonna stick. And now, the name...

Formal name = Lakota's Tequila Sunrise
Call name = Quila (key-la)

Whaddya think??!

Roadtrippin'

Jam and I are heading to Albuquerque today for a 3-day USDAA show. We'll be RVing it with a friend and her 2 pups, so it'll be a bit different this time. We're used to staying at hotels so now we're going to see how the "other side" lives! :)

Jam is ready. I think. I mean, she's been doing well in class and in my backyard, so we'll see what happens on the field. She's 100% on her weave poles everywhere but at a show. Typical, eh? Though at the West Valley show in July she was 100% on her poles...not sure why, but she was. Maybe cuz that's the show in which I returned home from Wisconsin on a Thursday and left for the show on a Friday without having done a single jump...? They say practice makes perfect, but maybe not really...?

Can't end this post without a puppy picture! They are 7 weeks old today! The breeder has been fabulous. He's had them on live birds, has had agility equipment in the puppy pen, took them swimming in his pond and has taught them how to retrieve! I'm going to have a very well-rounded pup and I'm SO excited!

Here is Ms Yellow (Green) after a swim. She is SO CUTE!



I bring her home in a week and a half. Can't believe it's coming already!!

And now a name...a freakin' name. Now I'm looking at the names of beaches in the Caribbean. Her "formal" name could be "Lakota's Life's a Beach"...! :) Anyone, anyone? (OK, so maybe 2 people read this thing, but anyone???)

Catch ya on the road....

Lots 'o stuff going on

Lessee...where to begin...

Jam...NO VALLEY FEVER!!! The test came back negative...woohoo!! :) I am so happy. :)

Calvin...he seems to have stabilized. He hasn't had a nosebleed in a week, thank goodness. He still isn't nearly as perky as usual, but that's to be expected. He is still eating like a horse, so that's good. He does go after the ball, but he takes his time. I just hope he continues to improve.

Puppies...they are 6 weeks old now!! The breeder sent video of them with live birds. They were going after them like good little Tollers! (no bird dies during filming!) The breeder has pretty much picked out the pup for me...the one I've been eyeing all along, Ms. Yellow (who is now wearing a green collar). Here are pictures of her being stacked...





Isn't she adorable?!! Right now she's one big puffball, but soon her "real" Toller coat will come in and she'll be as adorable as Jam! She STILL doesn't have a name though. I looked up some Caribbean facts online and like the name "Soca," which is a type of Caribbean music. My husband was less than thrilled with the name. Ugh. It's gonna be tough naming this one for some reason.

Our air conditioner...the upstairs one...it went out. And yeah, it's still freakin' HOT. And of course, it went out on a Saturday. One trip to Lowe's and 3 fans later, we were all able to sleep well last night. And luckily I was able to figure it out this evening and was able to jump start it back to life. Ugh. Hopefully we can limp it along until it cools off...like not until the end of October.

The girls...both are doing very well in school! We meet with Dani's teacher this week for parent/teacher conferences. We are expecting a good conference, so no worries there. And Erin continues to do well in Pre-K. They are both a bit rambunctious and need to learn to listen better, but that's age-specific and to be expected, I suppose.

Me...I got sick, really sick on Friday. And this was supposed to be my day on Friday...1) wake up, 2) wish husband a happy birthday, 3) head to the scuba shop to get his gift, 4) go to lunch with my boss, 5) lead "smoothie Friday" at Dani's school, 6) celebrate husband's birthday with gifts and cake. NONE of that happened. None. I was flat on my back (or in the bathroom) the entire day. I felt slightly better on Saturday, but still not too good. By today, I felt better, but not 100%. We were at least able to celebrate husband's birthday on Saturday and do some kid-oriented stuff today.

That's about it. Jam and I are heading to Albuquerque on Thursday for a 3-day USDAA show with DAM, Steeplechase and GP. It's gonna be at least 20 degrees cooler, thank goodness, and loads of fun. I'll be staying with a friend in her RV, which'll be way cool.

Show season is starting...woohoo!!

So Tired

I judged a show this past weekend in California. Nice show, nice site, nice people, etc. The show site was on a slight incline, so I was basically walking up and down a small hill all day, two days in a row. I felt it in my glutes, so there is some benefit there for me!

By the last class of the weekend, I started to feel the old familiar signs of heat exhaustion. My head started to ache and my stomach started to feel queasy. I also had a hard time focusing. Luckily I was able to stand in the shade to judge the last class, and I didn't feel too badly until the last dozen dogs or so. Right after the class, I sat down with friends and drank some water and Propel. It all ended good, but today I am TIRED.

I took Jam in for her Valley Fever test today. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the test comes back negative. She was coughing a bit after a ball-throwing session today and my paranoid mind kept telling me that she has Valley Fever. God...I sure hope not.

I haven't heard much puppy news in the past week. I am STILL looking for a name though. I just can't decide. What to do...

Valley Fever

It's a disease localized to the desert areas of Arizona, New Mexico and parts of California. This disease is contracted from either the dust in the air, by digging (dogs) or just inhaling the "fungal spores." It is very treatable, though it can be fatal.

Why am I telling you all this? Because we just found out that Calvin has valley fever. :( Not only does he have it, but he has a very severe case of it. A normal Valley Fever positive titer is 1:4, sometimes going up to 1:32. Calvin's titer came back as 1:256. Wow.

The ONLY clue we had that anything was amiss was the fact that he woke up Monday morning with a bada$$ nose bleed. Like blood all over. I took him to the vet that day and they ran the Valley Fever titer. We got the definitive results today. The drug of choice is Fluconazole, so we started him on it immediately. Hopefully it will start to make him feel better soon.

Given the severity of his case, he will most likely be on this drug for the rest of his life. He's taking it all in stride...still chasing after the tennis ball, though not quite as quickly.

This disease is not contagious, rather it's environmental, so we're gonna have Jam tested. Both live in the same environment, so it stands to reason that Jam's chances of having the disease are slightly elevated. It is called the "silent killer" since there really are no visible signs.

In honor of Calvy-Walvy, here are some of our favorite pictures...

And the beat goes on...

It's still hot here. Really hot. Like "unseasonably warm." Dandy. Just dandy.

Work has been slow so you'd think I'd make good use of this downtime...nope...not me. I am feeling entirely unmotivated right now and need a kick in the pants to get me going. I have courses to design which is NEVER fun so I'm practicing my avoidance tactics.

Jam is doing great, thank Goodness! I took her to class on Tuesday and she showed no signs of soreness or anything. I am very pleased. She has actually been quite a nuisance...wanting to play ball all. the. time. I finally had to give her a bone to chew on to get her out of my hair!

The girls seem to be doing really well in school. I still worry about Dani and her making friends and all that. I am trying to sign her up for socially interactive things (like girl scouts, science class, etc.) but nothing seems to be panning out. Hopefully things'll pick up soon. Erin is really doing well in Pre-K. She still has at least one "Erin-sized fit" a day (not at school, thank Goodness) so that is VERY annoying.

I have puppy pictures!!! They turned 4 weeks old yesterday, but the breeder sent pics of them at 3.5 weeks old. They are now out in their puppy yard and are getting so CUTE! He even put a couple agility items in the yard (thanks to my friend, Tammi!).

Ms Yellow (in front...green collar now)...she's the one I've got my eye on.


They have changed so much! This is a boy.


Learning 2 on, 2 off...! :)

Puppy recall...how cute is this??


I just love their little noises! Course, when I get my pup home, I have no doubt that I will NOT love those little noises at 3 AM!

Better get back to course design avoidance...

Oye

Well, we went, we saw, we all came home in one piece! (Bay Team Regionals that is.)

We got to San Jose on Friday around 1ish. Got into the long rental car line and got my car (finally) and headed south for the 1 hour drive to Salinas. Jam, by the way, was the perfect "service dog." She sat on my lap the entire time and was a very good passenger. Anywho...we got to the hotel aroun 3ish, I got Jam's agility stuff out of the suitcase, changed my clothes and we headed to the show site. We were running in Masters Pairs which started at 5ish.

I had a fabulous partner for Pairs (Luka) so I was psyched. I chose the first half since I felt it was more "doable" for Jam. It did have the weaves on that half, but she's been doing them so well that I didn't think they'd be a problem. We started out beautifully, then got to the weaves. Grrrr. She popped out at 10 and I had a brainfart as to where to put her back in. We frittered away the time there, then finished up beautifully. BUT, as fast as Luka is, there was no way they could make up the time I had frittered. No Q for us. Pooh.

Saturday dawned foggy and misty. The fog stayed with us for a good portion of the day. I was a judge today, so poor Jammie had to sit in her crate under the scoretable and watch me all day long. I did go and visit her between rotations. I judged Round 1 of the GP and the Team/PVP Relay Finals. The GP course I felt was a bit on the easy side, and it showed. My Q rate was rather large! Good for all the folks who ran it and capitalized on it! I did have a lot of dogs missing the up contact on the dog walk however. I don't think I've ever called that many ups in any one trial. Very strange. Team/PVP Relay was fun! I did get ran into by a crazy BC, but thankfully I saw it coming and was able to brace myself. The entire time I was judging Relay, the other judges (there were a bunch of us) were ringside talking animatedly throughout. I told them afterwards that I didn't know which was more intimidating...having all the competitors watching me or the judges!

Sunday dawned a bit foggy, but it cleared pretty quickly. Jam and I were competitors today...yay! We started out with Steeplechase. She was a tad distracted the first 3 jumps, but then picked it up. And then came the danged weaves. This time she didn't enter correctly so I got her back in and she completed them, thank God! Then she ran very fast to finish, but pulled a bar. Needless to say, we didn't Q.

Next came Masters Gamblers. I really needed this Gamble and it was so doable! I had a plan, but then changed it midstream. We started out great...she was really running! We came out of a tunnel to a straight shot onto the dog walk...when IT happened. She must've taken a mis-step while charging across the walk because the next thing I knew she was scrambling to stay on, but couldn't, and came down hard off the top plank. I ran to her and she was just laying there with her eyes half closed, panting every so slightly. I picked her up to get her out of the ring and put her down to check her out. Others came around me to see how she was doing. After about 30 seconds - 1 minute, she got up, shook it off, and seemed perfectly OK! I got an Ascriptin from a friend and gave her half of one. I walked her out and she didn't show any signs of lameness. I was very hopeful, but worried.

Next was Masters Standard. I had others watch me trot her out and she didn't seem to have any issues, so I decided to run her. And run she did!! She did GREAT! We ended up Qing, so that was very nice. She had no issues with the dog walk and was her normal self. THANK GOODNESS!! When it was all over, I had the doggie massage/chiropracter person give her a treatment to ensure that she was OK. Thankfully, she didn't seem to have any ill effects from her fall. Whew!

I drove back up to San Jose that night (after a fun dinner with the other judges) and we flew out this morning for home. Again, Jam was the perfect passenger.

I must say that the Bay Team did a great job with the Regional. You could never tell that there were over 400 dogs there. The rotation schedule seemed to work like a charm and I had a good time. I even learned how to ride a Segway! :) THAT was fun!!

I also found out today that I now have a complete team for Nationals! A friend asked if I wanted to be on an all-Toller team...I was very interested, but one of the possible team members hadn't yet qualified. She had her chance to Q this weekend and thankfully, she did! All of the Tollers are 16 inchers, so it's a bit unusual. We're now in the process of thinking of a fun name. It's so nice to have that loose end tied up!

Jam and I have some work to do before Nationals...like proofing the weaves!...but I think we'll be just fine. As long as we don't take it too seriously, it'll all go well!

Prepping for a Regional (puppy news too!)

I've never shown my dog at a Regional. I have to travel too far and I just can't afford it (time or money). BUT, this year I was asked to judge one day of the Bay Team Regional in San Jose, CA. I was also told I could bring my dog and show her the other days if I so choose. Well, I "so choose" so that's what I'm gonna do!

I am judging the Grand Prix Round 1, so we won't be able to run in that (phooey!) BUT, we will be able to compete in Pairs and Gamblers...2 legs we need towards our ADCH. We'll also run in a Standard class and the Steeplechase. I will be leaving very early Monday morning to catch a flight home for a BBQ with the family.

Jam and I have been working hard on gambles. She is now about 90% on her "outs" so hopefully we'll be able to capitalize at the show. She's running real well, though we haven't seen a whole lot of contact equipment lately. I ran her over an a-frame Tuesday night, but no teeter (I'm too lazy to drag mine out!) and no dogwalk. I think we'll be OK though (cross your fingers!).

PUPPY NEWS! :)

The puppies turn 3 weeks old today! Their eyes are open and they're getting more active. My friend (Toller friend) went and saw them today and confirmed that the smaller girl (Ms. Yellow...though she has on a green collar now) seems to be the most adventuresome. The breeder posted a video link that showed her escaping from the whelping box...so cute!! Here are some more pictures:

Ms. Yellow (or green...whatever!)


Ms. White (what a FACE!)


Puppy Pile!!

Junior Handlers (agility...for non-agile folks!)

I just had the pleasure of judging a Junior Handlers (JH) trial tonight. Our club (Good Dog Agility) hosts 2 JH trials each summer. Normally they are fairly well attended...tonight we had only 2 handlers and 5 dogs. A very small trial, but boy...did Good Dog have the turnout in terms of workers! The JHers were treated to a nice crowd of people watching them work through the courses.

I'm not entirely sure why the turnout was so low. Could be that the heat was too stifling? Or maybe folks were just plain busy or out of town? I don't know. What I do know is that it's a cool program that allows Juniors to compete against kids rather than against adults or "professional" agility handlers. The courses at the Beginners level are fairly simple, but once they progress to the Senior level, the courses are much like what I'd put out for the Starters class in the "adult" version.

I do enjoy watching the Juniors and hope that they come out in droves for our next trial which will be held in June.

My own little Junior Handlers were spending time with Lisa, our ex-Nanny. This was most likely the last time they'll see her as she (the Nanny) is moving. We'll miss her as she is GREAT with the girls and they love her and her son. I'm glad they had the chance to see her once again.

Time for puppy news!!! They are 2 weeks, 2 days old today. Their eyes are starting to open and they are whimpering quite a bit. I have pictures, but I'm too lazy to post them tonight...maybe tomorrow night! I also have made my flight arrangements for "project puppy pick-up." I am judging a show in Michigan the first weekend in October...since the pups are in Illinois, I am going to pick them up on my return trip home. I've scheduled an almost 3 hour layover at O'Hare and the breeders wife will bring my pup to me. I can't wait! :)

Sad and tragic news

My sister-in-law earned her pilot's license last year. She grew very close to her flight instructor, Doug Kinneard. Tragically, Doug died this past weekend in a plane crash. He and another young couple were attempting a take-off, when their plane apparently stalled and came down hard. The young couple survived, but are badly burned (see cjanerun for details).

The young couple (Stephanie (NieNie) and Christian Nielson) have 4 very young children. Their road to recovery will be long and arduous. My ex-husband's nephew was burned when he was a kid. He was burned over maybe 10% of his body and his recovery was long and painful. Christian is burned over 30% of his body and Stephanie over 80%. Their medical bills will be HUGE. The family has set up a bank account and is accepting donations. You can click the following button to help:

My sister-in-law is grief-stricken, as are all of Doug's friends and family. Doug himself leaves behind a wife and 4 children (ranging in age from 13 - 25). Luckily both families (NieNie and Doug) are very strong in their faith and have a huge support system, so hopefully they can hold strong to their faith and make it through this tragic time.

Gonna give it a go!

Tonight is the night of the first PTO (Parent-Teacher Oganization) meeting for Dani's school. I usually have agility class Tuesday nights, but class got bumped to Thursday, so I figured I would go.

I went to exactly ONE meeting last year (at her old school) and hated it. The cliques were insane. I am NOT a cliquey person, not to mention that I don't want to talk about kids/babies/potty training/domestic things all the time. I have a life outside my kids and am much more comfortable talking agility talk.

Since I do typically have agility class Tuesday nights, this'll most likely be THE only meeting I attend. I want to go mostly to see if there are any activities I can volunteer for...like book fairs, festivals, etc. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to stomach the "mommy clique."

In other news...I FINALLY got those courses done...hallelujah! I had to immediately move to revising courses for the huge Bay Team trial, and then design Junior Handler courses (for 2 handlers and 5 dogs) that I'm judging this weekend.

No new puppy news. I guess the breeder has been busy, though I hope he sends new pictures soon! I'm still searching for a name. I like Rum, or maybe even Cat (short for Catamaran...?)...how funny would that be...a dog named Cat?! Crap...I don't know. For some reason I'm having the hardest time ever with this pup whereas with the others, I had names lined up long before I met them!

HELP!

Another week, another show, and puppy news

The weeks are flying by. With the girls in school and show season just around the corner, it's just gonna get busier (more busy...whatever!).

Dani is doing GREAT in first grade! She is the youngest in her class by a pretty big margin, but she's doing just fine. Her teacher told me that she would never have guessed that she was only 5! :) She even got 100% on her first spelling test! The work seems pretty basic so far and Dani is having no problems doing it, so that's good.

Erin is also doing fabulous in Pre-K! Her teachers said that she is the role model for all the other kids. She is attentive, a good listener (imagine that!) and is always wanting to please. That is such good news!! We always worry about Erin as she can have her "Erin moments" but perhaps we're moving beyond that now? Let's hope so!

I judged a show in Oregon last weekend. I was a tad bit apprehensive given the fact that the last show I judged I ended up in the hospital!! Luckily the weather for this show was very nice (though we had a bit of rain Saturday morning) and I had no issues. I wore my new hat and drank my Propel and ate some salty foods, so it all went well. Nice club too! All-in-all, a good weekend.

As for the puppies, they are doing great!! They did lose a girl last week though :( I'm not entirely sure what happened, but they tried to save her and couldn't. The breeder was pretty upset about it...and it is very sad. He (the breeder) has been pretty good about posting pictures and videos on his site. The puppies are 7 days old today...here are some pics!

This is one of the girls...she is so CUTE!!


And here is a boy...


And the rest...the other girl is in the middle...


Looks like momma is feeding them well!

This weekend it's just me 'n the girls. Jeff is going diving in San Carlos...IF they let them into Mexico! Hopefully they will cuz he is itching to get in the water!

I'm in course design hell right now. Course design is by far the worst part of judging. I'm trying to design all new courses this year, but dang...my creative energy is just not there right now. Hopefully it'll come back soon cuz I'm already a day late on submitting 11 courses to my reviewer. Blah.

Help me name my puppy!!

Just found out that my next pup has been born! This officially puts the birthdate as 08/07/08! :) Aren't they CUTE??


Ember (mama Toller) had 3 girls and 3 boys. I'm hoping for a girl, but it really all depends the temperament. I'm lucky to have a friend who has and knows Tollers and agility nearby (the breeder that is) to take a look at them for me and help me out with some testing.

Here's a close up of a couple of the pups...

Now I need help with the name!! I usually have a name long before I get the puppy, but this time I'm stumped. Names of previous dogs include:

NEA - named after the National Education Association (Beagle)
Saavik - named after a character on Star Trek (dobe/shepherd mix)
Fred - named Fred cuz I liked the name! (Italian Greyhound)
Chakotay - named for a character on Star Trek (Italian Greyhound)
Rysa - named after the "planet of pleasure" from Star Trek (Toller)
Jam - named after the country of Jamaica (Toller)

The Star Trek names came when I was married to my ex...he is a major "Trekkie." I would like to veer FAR away from those type of names, thank you very much!

I'm thinking my new theme is the Caribbean. Anybody got any suggestions for me?? The kennel name is Lakota, so that'll have to factor into the "formal" name.

I'm so psyched!! :)

Of school days and a bruised paw

School started yesterday for both girls. Dani started First Grade and Erin Preschool. They both had great drop-offs and good days. I'd put a picture in here, but the blogger won't let me upload any. Suffice it to say, they were cute pictures. :)

Today's drop-offs did not go so well. Dani developed a tummy ache and Erin was ultra clingy. I was in tears. Despite my lack of motherly instincts, I love my girls fiercely. When I see them unhappy or sad, I feel unhappy or sad. Mostly I feel as if I've dropped the ball on finding and maintaining friends for them. I don't have any friends with kids (they are all dog people) so they don't have good friends. Dani looked so alone this morning and I totally blame myself. Gotta shake it though. Just gotta.

Meanwhile, during a practice session with Jam the other day, she all of a sudden came up lame. Her right front paw was bothering her. She hardly put any weight on it and kept licking it. I isolated it to one of her toes, but couldn't be sure what was going on. I gave her some Metacam and then ended up taking her to the Vet. It appears that she bruised her paw between two of the toes. Most likely while chasing her ball. She'll be off for about a week, though she seems to be feeling better already. I'm not gonna push it though. I'm still going to my distance training class tonight, but I'll just be taking notes.

I also just found out that I'll be able to pair with an awesome dog at the Bay Team regional. I just got word that Luka is available so Jam and I will have a kick-a$$ pairs partner! :)

hot, Hot, HOT!

It is TOO FREAKIN' HOT! I am so darned sick of this heat, it's not even funny.

I HATE the heat...hate it. We had oppresive heat through all of June and it has continued full force in July. Thankfully I was able to go to Wisconsin for 10 days in early July to get out of it...and it was wonderful...but to be back sucks. I mean...set your oven to 450 degress, stick your entire body in it for 10 seconds and tell me how you feel. For real!!! Yeah...a dry heat my a$$. It's still heat and it's HOT.

Going in the pool offers little relief since the water temperature is 94 degrees. It's almost like going into the jacuzzi but without the jets.

Have I mentioned how much I hate the heat?

When I work Jam, we do a couple of repititions and then I throw the ball in the pool for her. She gets out, we do a couple more repititions, and then back in the pool. Regardless, her tongue is still dragging to the ground.

Blah.

I HATE the heat. I want it to be winter and now.

Harumph.

Distance training

I'm very lucky to have a wonderful trainer in my own backyard. She proposed a set of distance training classes for me/Jam and two of our buddies (training classmates). One of the buddies has a very nice yard for us to be able to train in. We had our first session last night and I think this'll really help us reach that goal of getting 4 Gamblers legs for our ADCh!

We are really going "back to the basics" but I think it's going to be great in the long run. Especially since Jammie needs more foundation skills in this area. We worked on "go" and "out" last night. We have a bunch of homework, but I'm up for the challenge. I want to hit the ground running when show season starts again in September.

In other news, the girls both start school next Monday! Yay...hurray!!!! Quite honestly, I am really not cut out to be a stay-at-home-mom (technically I'm supposed to be working, but luckily things have been slow lately). I just don't have the patience to be with my girls 24/7. I know that's a bad thing to say, but it's the way I'm wired. Dani starts 1st grade (we meet her teacher this Friday) and Erin will start preschool/daycare. I wish I was more "motherly" but I'm not. I go through the motions and I love them dearly, but it just doesn't seem natural. Give me a puppy and I'll spend hours with it...give me kids and I'm done after 10 minutes. :\

Speaking of puppies...my next pup should be born August 6!! I got an email from the breeder and he said mama Toller (Ember) is looking quite pregnant and they'll see just how many are in there in a week. I am getting very excited!!

I'll finish with a few pics...first Erin swimming with the snorkel...


And Dani swimming with the snorkel...


Jam leaping into the water (can't wait to do Splash Dogs at Nationals this year!)...


And finally, Calvin playing his "how far can I go" game with the ball...

Jam and I are Jammin'!

After a good 2 weeks of no training whatsoever, Jam and I headed off to CA for a USDAA show. I had no expectations given the fact that I had just returned from WI and we hadn't seen a piece of equipment in a very long time.

We started with Masters Gamblers. Before this weekend, we needed 10 more legs for our ADCh...4 of them being Gamblers legs. This show offered double Gamblers. This gamble actually had a table in it. We haven't seen a table in a gamble since the advent of electronic timers several years ago! Regardless, we worked the opening and were in a great position when the gamble horn sounded. She did great on the first 3 gamble obstacles, but woudn't send to the table...pooh. Oh well, there was another opportunity tomorrow!

The next class was Steeplechase. I needed 1 more qualifier in order to run at Nationals this year. I had low expectations since the competition in the 16" class was seriously competitive. We went in and SMOKED the course!! By the end of it, we had Q'ed...WOOHOO! That monkey was now off my back!

Next came Masters Standard. We had a GREAT run up until the end...she went around a jump. I had let off on my handling and it showed. Oh well...she was running so fast that I couldn't be too upset.

Next came Masters Snooker. I needed one more Super Q for my Snooker Master title. Again, with the competition so stiff, I wasn't expecting much. I had a plan, but the times were tight and I started to waver on my plan. But, as the class went on, one 16" dog after another started to muff it up. I decided to stick with my original plan. We went in and NAILED it! We did 4 reds and got through number 6 in the closing. In the end, the Super Q was ours and we earned our Snooker Master! Another monkey off my back! :)

Last was Masters Jumpers. Jam again was very fast, but again, my handling skills went downhill. It was about 5:30 PM by that time so I was a bit tired. Regardless, we had a couple refusals but once again, I was so very pleased with how Jam ran!

Today (Sunday) we started with Steeplechase round 2. I pushed Jam for speed and she totally gave it to me! She was FAST! She did pull a couple bars in the process but in the end she placed 5th. I was so PROUD!

The next course was the Grand Prix. The course was very ugly. It required a lot of handling and it was VERY technical with some ugly angles. We started with the big dogs. NO 26" dogs Q'ed and I believe only 3 22" dogs Q'ed and only 1 of those dogs was clean. Next were the 16" dogs. Dog after dog ahead of me eliminated. I got Jam to the line and just went for it. We had a BEAUTIFUL run and ended up clean! :) Everyone let out a huge cheer! There was one more clean run after her, and the dog was faster, so she didn't get the bye (for a Super Regional), but dang...she handled perfectly and again was fast!

Next was Masters Standard. I was going to let my friend run Jam, but Jam wanted only her mommy! While my friend was warming her up, she had eyes only for me so I ended up running her anyway. Once again, she smoked it and we ended up in 2nd with the Q! I am so PROUD of her! This was her 8th run of the weekend and she was as fresh as if it were her first.

Masters Pairs came next and I had paired with Cedar, a very nice Italian Greyhound. Cedar didn't like the surface (dirt with clumps and rocks) so she was a bit slower, but still very consistent. She went first and went clean. Jam took off from the start and never looked back. She was so fast that I had no chance to get in the crosses I had planned! We ended up in 1st with a Q!

The second round of Masters Gamblers was next with a very nice, doable gamble. We got plenty of opening points and started the gamble nicely, but she was to push out to the teeter after a tunnel...she ended up coming back into me so we didn't get it. Guess I gotta work on some better "OUT" commands! :)

This weekend also offered double Snooker, but we left before the class started since it was already 3:15 and I had a 5.5 hour drive ahead of me. Since I got my Snooker Master on Saturday and was dog tired, I had no problems leaving early!

After this weekend, we now need 8 more legs for our ADCh:

4 Gamblers
2 Jumpers
2 Pairs

Jumpers and Pairs shouldn't be a problem...Gamblers will be a problem! I've never liked Gamblers, but I must now embrace it and love it!

Now I am tired. Jam came home tonight and wanted to play. I, on the other hand, did not!

A dumb blonde moment

Yup...I am a natural blonde!

So we get back from Wisconsin last night around 7ish. There was quite a bit of weather in Phoenix, but they managed to get us on the ground in between storms. The girls and I had to gather our luggage alone (i.e. husband didn't actually come to the airport, park, walk in and help us out) and go out to the curb to wait for him (he hadn't left the house yet when I called him from the plane). He finally shows up, the girls go wild, we all pile into the SUV and drive home.

We get home and the phone rings...it's MY cell phone calling MY home phone. I get a puzzled look on my face, pick up the phone and talk to the person using MY cell phone. It's a security guard from the airport! Freaky. Apparently I had left my backpack on the ground by the bench where the girls and I were waiting for my husband. This backpack contained not only my cell phone, but also my wallet and my laptop...YIKES! Sooooo, I got back in the SUV, drove through DRIVING rain, stood outside the Operations building to wait for someone to give me my backpack, then drove back home in the DRIVING rain with said backpack.

Now there is an obvious silver lining...a security guard picked up the backpack...not someone who could've taken it and vanished into thin air. I am grateful for that but dang...how could I BE so blonde! Ah well...all's well that ends well!

Now I'm sitting in a hotel room in Pomona, CA getting ready to show Jammie at a USDAA show this weekend. I was home less than 24 hours before heading to CA. Crazy. And of course, Jam and I haven't practiced for 2 weeks, so we could really suck this weekend, but we'll have fun in the process!

Finally...a proper 4th!

After spending a lot of crappy 4ths in Phoenix (where it's too hot to sit outside for too long) I decided to take the kids to Wisconsin to show them what a REAL 4th is like!

We arrived at midnight on the 1st (so the 2nd really) and started in on the festivities right away. My brother arrived from Boston on the 3rd. We immediately went to the zoo and spent about 5 hours there. That evening, the girls and I met with a couple of old high school buddies and their families. My best friend (since the 2nd grade I might add!) came with her two girls, who are quite a bit older than my girls...yet they all got along like peas and carrots! My girls couldn't stop talking about them.

On the 4th, we went back to my home town (Brown Deer, WI) and watched the 4th of July parade! The girls got LOTS of candy and I saw yet another old high school buddy...he was riding his unicyle in the parade...he's been doing it since I've known him! The cool thing is that his 8-year-old son was riding with him! :) We then came back to my folks house for a BBQ. The girls and I then headed over to the park where we met up with my friend and her girls again. They had snagged a great spot where we could watch the fireworks as they exploded over our heads! My folks and brother joined us later and were treated to a fabulous fireworks show! The girls had their hands over their ears the entire time, but the just LOVED it!

All this time, the temps have been in the low 70's, dipping into the low 60's by nightfall. So, SO much better than the 100+ temps in Phoenix!

On the 5th, my other brother and his family came to my folks from Illinois. We spent the day together chatting, playing ball (soccer, catch, baseball, etc.), eating, racing, and thoroughly enjoying each others company. A very nice day.

Today we just got back from visiting my cousins. They live about an hour south of my folks. The girls got to go to a beach and jump over the waves in Lake Michigan. The water was freezing cold and they loved every minute of it!

So far, it's been a great visit. Tomorrow my Boston brother heads home. The girls and I will be here until the 10th. On the 11th, Jam and I are roadtripping it to California for a show. I won't have practiced with her for 2 weeks, so we'll see how it goes! :)

I believe I've broken a toe!

On my right foot...the middle toe. Ow.

We went to the lake today and spent a good long time there. I rode the jet ski a lot. When I ride, I RIDE. I torque it around in circles and figure 8's and all sorts of things. While I'm doing that, I grab on with my legs and toes. I think during one of my figure 8's, I jammed my foot into the side of the jetski, thereby breaking my toe. Did I say Ow?

Can you tell which one it is...?


Course, I have a second interview at Go Daddy tomorrow...guess I'll be hobbling into the interview room!

Back to the lake...it was a lot of fun! We were supposed to meet friends there, and we did towards the end of the day, but we couldn't find them until then. Regardless, Dani just LOVED being pulled by the tube! She went clear from one end of the lake down to the other and then some! She kept yelling "faster, faster!" When we met up with friends, they were pulling a "banana" behind them. This thing can fit 3 kids so Dani and their 2 kids rode that thing around forever. She cried when she had to get off! We got home at 7:15 tonight, so it was a very long day.

I've got ice on the toe and have propped it up for now. Hopefully the swelling will subside somewhat, though I'm afraid it's going to get quite black and blue!

My love affair with a Dyson

Wow. I never knew one could actually enjoy vacuuming! My sister-in-law came to live with us in April and she brought along her Dyson. This thing sucks...I mean realy, REALLY sucks!! I vacuumed the floor 3 times and was still sucking up loads of dog hair (which, when you think about it is really gross).

By the 4th time, it had sucked up only a tiny amount of dog hair, so I can safely say my carpets are now dog-hair free. At least for a few minutes. It's funny though...I just vacuumed and now all the dogs are laying on the tile. They seem to know that the carpet is pristine and they don't want to mess it up! :)

I have no idea what I'll do when she leaves. Guess I'll have to cajol my husband into giving me one for my birthday or something!

Oh...and it would seem like the Toller mama is pregnant and the pups are due August 6th!! Stay tuned!

It's all good

Seems my experience with heat exhaustion is virtually past me. I went to the doctor today and all seems well. They did do a blood draw to ensure that my levels are all normal, etc. I'll get those results in a day or two.

Meanwhile, we went to the lake on Sunday and I had no problems. I did feel hot from time-to-time, but I jumped into the refreshingly cool water, and felt much better. I also alternated drinking Propel with water to keep my sodium and electrolytes up. All in all, a good day at the lake.

I have class again tonight. I'm going to go, but will be sure to keep cool and hydrated. It's course night tonight which means I'll run a course maybe 3 times, so that shouldn't be too bad. We'll see how it goes.

Jam hasn't been worked on the equipment at all. It's just to flippin' hot. We've been up to 110+ for a good week now. It's getting old...really, really old. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate, detest and CAN'T STAND the heat? Ugh. Course, seems like humidity does a number on me too. Maybe I'll blow up a big bubble, step inside and be a bubble person...?

So I went to class the other night...

And I shouldn't have. I am clearly not "over" this heat exhaustion episode. By the end of class, I handed Jam over to a classmate and asked him to run her. I couldn't do it. I came home so supremely exhausted, it was all I could do to drag my weary body up the stairs to bed.

It took me until 4 PM on Wednesday to work through the nausea and the crappy way I felt all day. Today I felt good in the morning, but not so hot come afternoon. I did make an appointment with my doctor for next week, so hopefully he can help me out.

Meanwhile, our dryer crapped out. YAY! not. We don't have time to do anything about it until Saturday, so in the meantime, I've been washing the clothes and then hanging them out on a line to dry. Course, with my heat sensitivity, being outside hasn't helped, but the laundry HAS to get done. I've been downing Propel like crazy.

I did do a little research and found that I also most likely had what's called "water intoxication." Basically you down so much water that your system pushes out all the sodium and potassium and you literaly become "drunk" on water! Crazy.

We're hoping to go out on the boat on Sunday. I plan to keep in the shade, drink plenty of Propel and jump into the freezing cold water whenever I feel like it!

A tale of judging and heat stroke...

Ugh.

I left to judge a 3-day Regional in Pennsylvania on Thursday. I noticed the humidity right away, but I've judged in humidity before, so no biggie.

Friday I judged LOTS of dogs. The weather was hot and humid, but there was a breeze, thank Goodness. I judged from 8:30 AM - 7 PM and felt fine, though my feet were KILLING me.

Saturday dawned somewhat cloudy, very hot and oppressively humid. Now, I'm a Wisconsin girl, but have been in Arizona for the past 20 years. If our humidty index gets over 20% on any given day, that's pretty amazing. Granted, it gets high during the monsoon season, but that lasts all of 2 months.

I'd estimate the temp on Saturday to be upper 80's, low 90's with a humidity index of 85% - 90%. The air was not moving and it was yucky. I started judging Team Gamblers and felt pretty good. I was drinking water...lots of water. I was getting new bottles every 15 minutes. By the end of the class, I was feeling a bit woozy. I sat down in front of a great fan while they built and walked my GP (round 1) course. I went out to judge that course and started feeling worse. I was still drinking water, and also dumping it over my head from time-to-time.

There were two groups...group A and group B. I barely made it through group B before everyone dragged me out of there and into some A/C. They took me to an RV where I layed down. I started shivering, and feeling generally out of it. A competitor, who is also a nurse, assessed me and determined I should go to ER. On the way to ER, I almost vomited, but held it in. When we got to ER, my friends were very pushy and got me into triage ASAP. During triage, I lost the entire contents of my stomach. I hadn't eaten a lot that morning, but a WHOLE lot came back up. They got me into a room and started pushing fluids.

After 2 bags, the doctor told me my sodium levels were dangerously low. He said I could choose to go, but it would be against medical advice. I wanted to stop imposing on a very wonderful, kind friend so I said I wanted to go. The doc said to push fluids with sodium, so my friend gave me a G2. On the way to his house, I told him to pull over so I could get out and vomit up the G2 I had just drank. We headed right back to ER. They put in 2 more bags of fluids. By 1 AM, my bloodwork showed that my sodium levels were on the low range of normal, but were good. I also felt much, much better.

My friend took me to his house at 2 AM, where we slept until 10:30 AM! We went to the show at about 11ish and I so wanted to judge! Of course, the doctor said no f-ing way was I gonna judge, so instead I sat in front of the lovely fan and chatted with friends. I also finished up my paperwork from the previous day. Luckily there were plenty of other judges to fill in my other classes.

It was a very unpleasant experience, but I felt so badly for the club and for my extremely kind-hearted friend. He is truly a saint. He stayed with me the entire time and calmed and soothed me and was a fabulous person to have around. I can't say enough for the entire club and all the competitors who were so concerned for me. One good friend told me she just couldn't sleep she was so worried about me.

I'm glad it's over but am now somewhat worried about judging in similar conditions. I've been judging for 14 years and nothing like this has ever happened to me before...ever. I was reminded by many that I'm not as young as I once was, so I suppose that plays into it as well. Not to mention that while drinking water is good, it was taking away any sodium I had, which is NOT good. I started drinking Propel on Sunday, which has some sodium and other good stuff in it.

In a previous post I mentioned the reason why I continue to judge...the people are so phenominal, it's amazing. The nurse even gave up her Grand Prix run to come to the ER with me. I couldn't thank her enough. I'll keep judging for now, but will more carefully choose the times of year and location before I say yes!

A training breakthrough!

Jam has a FABULOUS running contact on the a-frame. Many people would kill for her running contacts. Funny thing is, I never trained it...she just does it. I can't even take credit for training it that way. Shhhh...don't tell anyone!

While her a-frame contact is rock-solid, her dog walk contact is not. I have to slow her way down and keep telling her to "target" all the way to the end. I really, truly want running contacts on the dog walk so I told my instructor this last night. She pulled out two stick-like things...the type of sticks you use to put up the orange snow fencing...and made a "teepee" at the end of the dog walk contact. I had Jam hop up on the downside of the dog walk a couple times to let her go under this teepee. She did it with no problems. Cool! Now...let's see what she does at full speed!

I put her over a couple jumps then sling-shotted her out of a tunnel onto the dog walk. She was MOVING! At the bottom, she simply dove under the teepee and ran after the ball I threw for her. It was beautiful!! I did it a few more times and she had no problems whatsoever. My instructor also did it with her so I could truly see how she's lowering her head, without missing a stride, and diving through the teepee.

I am so psyched! Now I have to find me some teepee making poles and build myself a dog walk so I can practice this at home! I would so love to not have to worry about her dog walk contact. Not to mention that it would shave a bunch of seconds off her time, which may allow us to beat some of those darned Shelties!!

Back from Disney and the San Diego USDAA show!

Disneyland was a blast! We were at Disneyland for 2 days and California Adventure for 1 day. We went on every single ride at Disneyland, met the majority of the characters, dined with the princesses and had an overall great time!

Dani is a bonified "roller coaster queen" while Erin is more timid. Dani's favorite rides were:

Splash Mountain (went on it 4 times!)
Space Mountain (went on it 3 times)
Mulholland Madness (went on it 3 times)
Big Thunder Mountain (went on it once)
Buzz Lightyear
Finding Nemo
Winnie the Pooh

Erin was a bit less adventuresome. Her fav's were:

Dumbo
Finding Nemo
Autopia
Buzz Lightyear
Teacups
She liked the Matterhorn, but didn't want to go on it again

We used a program Wishy recommended to maximize our ride time and minimize our wait time. We used it and also ad-hoced a bit and had minimal wait times. It was GREAT!

The highlight of the entire vacation were the princesses. Erin was in LOVE with Ariel and Snow White. When we first saw Ariel, she was in heaven. When Snow White came out, she was over-the-top thrilled! Here are some pictures with the princesses:




Of course we had to have our official Disney mouse ears (though Dani wanted a hat instead!):


And Erin fell head-over-heels in love with Winnie the Pooh!


He's the only character she'd get close to...other than Minnie Mouse that is...


All in all, a great time was had by all! We even opened and closed the park one day! Talk about one tired bunch of people!

Friday evening, we drove down to Chula Vista (San Diego). A friend picked up Jam for me in Arizona and delivered her to me that night for a USDAA show that weekend. I brought the girls with me on Saturday and they were GREAT! A couple of friends were there with their 3-year-old daughter, so the 3 of them played together and watched movies. The dad even took them to a couple of playgrounds. At one point, they all ended up snuggling under blankets and taking a 2 hour nap!

Jammie and I did OK. We got 2 Masters Standard Q's only. In Gamblers, I was totally off and handled her like crap. In Masters Jumpers, she ran very fast, but too fast for me to keep her from a huge off-course potential. In Steeplechase, she missed the cutoff by .35 seconds. She had some issues in the weaves but was otherwise very fast.

On Sunday, she ran great on her half of Pairs, but her partner went off course. Her Masters Standard run was fabulous. In the GP, she muffed up the weaves...just like 80% of the class did. We couldn't figure out what was up with that. In Snooker, we had a wonderful opening. Then in the closing, she pulled the only bar of the weekend while going over #3. Oh well...it was the last class of the weekend so I couldn't be too upset with her.

Regardless, the entire trip was wonderful. Getting back to reality has been tough, but it's a necessary evil!

'nother puppy possiblity and my little fishies!

Yup...I've already found a Toller breeder and he will be breeding the girl this week! I've seen pictures of this girl as well as a clip or two of her doing agility. She looks earily similar to Jam, though she's a bit taller. The daddy also looks good. If all goes well, by the first weekend of October I'll have a new pup in the house!

We went in the pool again this weekend. It's still a tiny bit chilly (like...86ish degrees) but swimmable. The girls are doing so well with their swimming! Dani is gonna be a fish by the end of the summer. She's swimming well both above and below water. She LOVES to "ride" on Daddy's back underwater.

Erin hangs on to a noodle as you throw her high in the air. She comes crashing down into the water, bobs back up and says immediately "again!" Too much fun.

I've got about 10 pounds of crap loaded into the SUV right now. We leave tomorrow afternoon. I think we'll be able to fit the rest of the stuff in there, but we'll definitely be packed to the gills! The girls are getting really excited, as are the adults! I love Disneyland...afterall, it's the "Happiest Place on Earth," right?!