I need to start off by saying...I am SO PROUD of Jam!!!
We had a USDAA show in Tucson this past weekend. Jam and I went into the weekend needing 1 Masters Standard Q and 1 Masters Gamblers Q to earn her MAD (Master Agility Dog title). We also needed 1 more GP Q for Nationals.
And guess what...WE DID IT!!! Jam is now a MAD dog and got a couple extra legs towards her championship! She also got the last Grand Prix leg and can now compete at the Nationals...WooHoo!!! She turned 2 Nov. 2, so she's still a baby dog in my eyes. Not to mention that this was only her 10th ever USDAA show. Did I say how proud I am of her yet?
We also won another award that completely caught me by surprise. People who have been in agility since the "old" days (early 1990's) will remember Ray Weick and his Schnauzer, Meaghan Deer Chaser. Meaghan and Ray were awesome. They were the first Arizona dog/handler team to attain the highest titles USDAA has to offer. Meaghan was tragically killed in a run-in with a coyote a few years ago. Since then, the Meaghan Deer Chaser award has been given in her honor to the highest scoring Masters dog...and Jam was that dog!!!! Ray has always been an inspiration to me and has always been there for me in the "old" days when I was running my stubborn Beagle, NEA. He encouraged me to NOT give up...NEA and I went on to be 1 of only 2 Beagles who have their ADCH.
To say this weekend was a success is an understatement. It was fabulous. Jam is my hero! :)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Just another day in paradise
That's my typical response when anyone asks me how I'm doing when I'm at work...oh yeah...paradise. I am so ready to leave my current company. Back in September, I was "given" an end date of March 4 (my current job is being eliminated). When I found out about this end date, I was actually thrilled beyond belief!! This meant that I had 6 months to secure employment, PLUS they are giving me a bonus AND severance pay!! How sweet is that?
I have already secured employment for after March 4, so I am now anxiously awaiting the day when I can say GOODBYE to this place. When I started here in Aug. of '05 I thought it wasn't too bad...but then it started to get bad. One co-worker started scrutinzing my every move to the point of bullying. One day she finally made a very inappropriate and rude comment to me (in front of another co-worker) and I went to my boss. It got resolved, but of course my comfort level here went down.
Then, a few months ago another co-worker accused ME of harrassment and creating a "hostile work environment" for her. Why you may ask?? Because I tried to joke with her...you know...to make light of things by making some fun, lighthearted comments (in this case about alcohol consumption...this co-worker is known as the Happy Hour Queen). Apparently she didn't take them as such. Course when another co-worker known for his jokes and humor makes the same jokes with her, she doesn't call him out. Whatever.
All in all, I am seriously unhappy here and have been for a long time. The only happiness I got was from working with the development team in the UK, but they are also being kicked out at the end of March.
It's amazing...this is the first place I've worked in which I've had any issues with co-workers. I've been working since I was 16 and am now forty-somethingish! :) I had the BEST working environment at my last place of employment and still keep in contact with those people. They were all great to work with and we all had mutual respect for each other. At this place I feel as if I have stepped back in time to my freshman year in high school. No fun.
So, I'm going to start focusing on class tonight...that is IF we have class tonight. We got a ton of rain yesterday so I'm hoping the practice field isn't saturated. Jam and I have a show this weekend and we need to work on our weave pole entries. She's been missing the first pole lately so I plan to drill her every day until the show. I couldn't yesterday since the yard was way too squishy!
I have already secured employment for after March 4, so I am now anxiously awaiting the day when I can say GOODBYE to this place. When I started here in Aug. of '05 I thought it wasn't too bad...but then it started to get bad. One co-worker started scrutinzing my every move to the point of bullying. One day she finally made a very inappropriate and rude comment to me (in front of another co-worker) and I went to my boss. It got resolved, but of course my comfort level here went down.
Then, a few months ago another co-worker accused ME of harrassment and creating a "hostile work environment" for her. Why you may ask?? Because I tried to joke with her...you know...to make light of things by making some fun, lighthearted comments (in this case about alcohol consumption...this co-worker is known as the Happy Hour Queen). Apparently she didn't take them as such. Course when another co-worker known for his jokes and humor makes the same jokes with her, she doesn't call him out. Whatever.
All in all, I am seriously unhappy here and have been for a long time. The only happiness I got was from working with the development team in the UK, but they are also being kicked out at the end of March.
It's amazing...this is the first place I've worked in which I've had any issues with co-workers. I've been working since I was 16 and am now forty-somethingish! :) I had the BEST working environment at my last place of employment and still keep in contact with those people. They were all great to work with and we all had mutual respect for each other. At this place I feel as if I have stepped back in time to my freshman year in high school. No fun.
So, I'm going to start focusing on class tonight...that is IF we have class tonight. We got a ton of rain yesterday so I'm hoping the practice field isn't saturated. Jam and I have a show this weekend and we need to work on our weave pole entries. She's been missing the first pole lately so I plan to drill her every day until the show. I couldn't yesterday since the yard was way too squishy!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Puppy envy
I am having serious puppy envy. So many people I know are either getting new puppies or have just gotten one. I want a new puppy SO BAD! I still refer to Jam as "my puppers" but she is 2 and isn't a pup...though she certainly acts like one every single day!
I am on a list for a litter of pups that was to be ready to go home late spring. I have been bugging the contact I have who knows the breeder and he got back to me yesterday letting me know that the bitch (er, female dog!) is in season!!!! I am SO excited! It'll be a Border Collie/American Staffordshire Terrier mix...in other words, a Border/Staffy. Basically I'll get a short dog with drive...which is my ideal. I already have a short dog with drive (Jam) whom I adore, but I want another! I'd get another Toller (which is what Jam is) but there are no guarantees that I'll get another Toller as short as Jam...Jam's height (or lackthereof) is NOT normal.
My next step is to convince my dear husband that he really wants to add another dog to the household! I keep reminding him that when I met him, I had 4 dogs...that should've been an indication that I really, REALLY like dogs and didn't mind having that many. When we married, we added his dog into the mix so we had 5 total. We rapidly went down to 1 (Calvin...my stepdog) and are now sitting at 2. I personally think 3 is ideal. Not to mention that by the time this new pup is ready to compete, Jam'll most likely have attained or be close to her Championship in USDAA-style agility and I'll be ready to let the girls run her in Junior Handler matches.
Now that I've typed it out, it sounds perfectly reasonable to me, don't you think?!
Most agility-folk that I know have upwards of 5 - 6 dogs. Granted, they don't have kids, but what's 3 dogs when you already have 2...! :) I have no doubt that my husband will see my way...it's just gonna be quite a battle, but one that I am willing to fight!
I am on a list for a litter of pups that was to be ready to go home late spring. I have been bugging the contact I have who knows the breeder and he got back to me yesterday letting me know that the bitch (er, female dog!) is in season!!!! I am SO excited! It'll be a Border Collie/American Staffordshire Terrier mix...in other words, a Border/Staffy. Basically I'll get a short dog with drive...which is my ideal. I already have a short dog with drive (Jam) whom I adore, but I want another! I'd get another Toller (which is what Jam is) but there are no guarantees that I'll get another Toller as short as Jam...Jam's height (or lackthereof) is NOT normal.
My next step is to convince my dear husband that he really wants to add another dog to the household! I keep reminding him that when I met him, I had 4 dogs...that should've been an indication that I really, REALLY like dogs and didn't mind having that many. When we married, we added his dog into the mix so we had 5 total. We rapidly went down to 1 (Calvin...my stepdog) and are now sitting at 2. I personally think 3 is ideal. Not to mention that by the time this new pup is ready to compete, Jam'll most likely have attained or be close to her Championship in USDAA-style agility and I'll be ready to let the girls run her in Junior Handler matches.
Now that I've typed it out, it sounds perfectly reasonable to me, don't you think?!
Most agility-folk that I know have upwards of 5 - 6 dogs. Granted, they don't have kids, but what's 3 dogs when you already have 2...! :) I have no doubt that my husband will see my way...it's just gonna be quite a battle, but one that I am willing to fight!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The vacation afterglow
Most people dread coming home from a vacation. Getting back into the grind can be daunting, but for me, it's been all right.
I think it's because while on vacation I gained some perspective and have applied some of what I gained to my daily life. For example, I am a yeller...I yell at my girls, I yell at my husband, I just yell. While on vacation, I realized that yelling is accomplishing nothing (with the exception of raising my blood pressure) and since I've been back, I haven't yelled once and the world has continued to turn!
I am also always in hurry to get things done. For example, around the house...I don't mind some clutter, but when it gets out of hand, I go crazy. We haven't quite put everything away since coming home so there is some clutter. Instead of cleaning it up right away, I decided it was more important for me to spend time with the girls and the dogs and have left all the crap untouched. I pick things up here and there when I'm able, but I'm not fixated on it.
These aren't huge revalations, but for me they are a good place to start. I also found out after I came back from vacation that I will have some form of employment when my job at my current company officially ends March 4. I have been able to line up a contract gig and am pretty happy with that. I think underlying everything has been the fact that I would be jobless...I never panicked about it, but it's always been there...in the back of my mind.
It's the little things. And I'm working on it! :)
I think it's because while on vacation I gained some perspective and have applied some of what I gained to my daily life. For example, I am a yeller...I yell at my girls, I yell at my husband, I just yell. While on vacation, I realized that yelling is accomplishing nothing (with the exception of raising my blood pressure) and since I've been back, I haven't yelled once and the world has continued to turn!
I am also always in hurry to get things done. For example, around the house...I don't mind some clutter, but when it gets out of hand, I go crazy. We haven't quite put everything away since coming home so there is some clutter. Instead of cleaning it up right away, I decided it was more important for me to spend time with the girls and the dogs and have left all the crap untouched. I pick things up here and there when I'm able, but I'm not fixated on it.
These aren't huge revalations, but for me they are a good place to start. I also found out after I came back from vacation that I will have some form of employment when my job at my current company officially ends March 4. I have been able to line up a contract gig and am pretty happy with that. I think underlying everything has been the fact that I would be jobless...I never panicked about it, but it's always been there...in the back of my mind.
It's the little things. And I'm working on it! :)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Back from vacation
Jeff and I just got back from a week-long cruise vacation in the Caribbean. The girls stayed with our Nanny and had a great time! They were very well-behaved and overall good little girls. Erin can be the wildcard, so this was good news!
Our vacation was very nice. We went to St. Maarten, Dominica, Grenada, Margarita Island (Venezuela) and Aruba. We dove in every port except for Margarita Island...we swam with dolphins at this port! Underwater we saw seahorses, octopuses, big HUGE green eels, sea turtles, scorpion fish and one frog fish. The diving was the best in Dominica...really pretty reefs and good sea life.
We met some nice people on board the ship, though the serivce on board was less than spectacular. The crew seemed tired and somewhat rude. This was our 6th cruise so we have an idea as to what to expect.
As nice as our vacation was, we were both happy to be home. We missed the girls and the dogs and were thrilled to see all of them!! Now it's back to reality though. I have a show next weekend so Jammie and I have to get back in synch. It's been raining a lot here so I'm hoping we'll still have class tonight. Jammie is as wired as usual and has been bringing her ball to me over and over and over (and over) again. I think our next show will be quite a ride!
Our vacation was very nice. We went to St. Maarten, Dominica, Grenada, Margarita Island (Venezuela) and Aruba. We dove in every port except for Margarita Island...we swam with dolphins at this port! Underwater we saw seahorses, octopuses, big HUGE green eels, sea turtles, scorpion fish and one frog fish. The diving was the best in Dominica...really pretty reefs and good sea life.
We met some nice people on board the ship, though the serivce on board was less than spectacular. The crew seemed tired and somewhat rude. This was our 6th cruise so we have an idea as to what to expect.
As nice as our vacation was, we were both happy to be home. We missed the girls and the dogs and were thrilled to see all of them!! Now it's back to reality though. I have a show next weekend so Jammie and I have to get back in synch. It's been raining a lot here so I'm hoping we'll still have class tonight. Jammie is as wired as usual and has been bringing her ball to me over and over and over (and over) again. I think our next show will be quite a ride!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Reflections on a show weekend
My club hosted a USDAA show this weekend. I, unfortunately, was quite sick. I came down with a wicked cold and by Saturday, it was pretty bad. I did show Jam, but took a few naps in between classes. By Sunday, I felt better and was actually able to work!
The rain held off, thank goodness! We had a brief shower Saturday afternoon and some misty rain early Sunday, but it had all tapered off by the time we started running.
Jam did great! We had our issues, but she did great nonetheless. She got her first Grand Prix qualifier! :) She needs one more to participate in the USDAA Nationals. We have a few more chances to get one so I'm hoping we'll be able to do so before the cut-off. She also earned a Master Jumpers Q, a Master Pairs Q and another Snooker Q. She is only 2 legs shy of her MAD (Masters Agility Dog) title! I'm so incredibly proud of her!!
She did have some weave pole issues though, so we'll be working on that in the next few weeks. She also got really silly on me during a Masters Standard run...all I could do was laugh at her!
Given all of Jam's structural issues, I cherish every single show I get to compete with her. She has elbow dysplasia and issues with a locked sacrum (pelvis) which stems from a very tight mid-back. I've been taking her to a holistic vet who specializes in chiropractic and acupunture therapy. He also has Jam on some herbs to help with her "Yin" whatever that is! She still runs with glee, but I am very careful with her and don't overdo.
All in all a good show. We really had fun, even though I couldn't breath through my nose the entire time!
The rain held off, thank goodness! We had a brief shower Saturday afternoon and some misty rain early Sunday, but it had all tapered off by the time we started running.
Jam did great! We had our issues, but she did great nonetheless. She got her first Grand Prix qualifier! :) She needs one more to participate in the USDAA Nationals. We have a few more chances to get one so I'm hoping we'll be able to do so before the cut-off. She also earned a Master Jumpers Q, a Master Pairs Q and another Snooker Q. She is only 2 legs shy of her MAD (Masters Agility Dog) title! I'm so incredibly proud of her!!
She did have some weave pole issues though, so we'll be working on that in the next few weeks. She also got really silly on me during a Masters Standard run...all I could do was laugh at her!
Given all of Jam's structural issues, I cherish every single show I get to compete with her. She has elbow dysplasia and issues with a locked sacrum (pelvis) which stems from a very tight mid-back. I've been taking her to a holistic vet who specializes in chiropractic and acupunture therapy. He also has Jam on some herbs to help with her "Yin" whatever that is! She still runs with glee, but I am very careful with her and don't overdo.
All in all a good show. We really had fun, even though I couldn't breath through my nose the entire time!
Friday, January 4, 2008
2008 is gonna be GREAT!
At least that's the jingle I've taught the girls to say! Personally, I am partial to even-numbered years, so I am optimistic.
We had quite a busy holiday season. We headed back to Wisconsin for Christmas with my family Dec. 20. We stayed a week. The girls got to have snowball fights, go sledding, build a snowman, make snow angels and eat snow...YUM! We had one bitterely cold, blizzard-like day, but otherwise it was all good. The girls LOVED "Uncle Crazy" and had load of fun with Uncle Jim. Dani is definitely a "Grandpa's Girl" whereas Erin is partial to Grandma. All in all, a good time.
We came home to chaos, in that there were 4 extra dogs at our house (3 we knew about) and 6 extra people. Jeff's family decided to help his mom out by remodeling her home. They took all the furniture out, repainted, put in new window treatments and put in new baseboards. They had tilers replace the carpet and linoleum with tile. Since Jeff's brother/SIL and kids are from California, they stayed with us. Jeff's other sister who is local also stayed with us since Jeff's mom stayed at her apartment. It was pretty crazy. They all left by New Year's Eve so we rang in the New Year quietly.
Meanwhile, Jam and I are prepping for a USDAA show this weekend. And of course, rain is predicted. So far every local show has had rain threatened or has been partially canceled due to rain. Hopefully it won't be too bad.
We're 4 days into 2008 and so far so good! Jeff and I are off cruising the Caribbean again in a couple weeks...woohoo! :)
We had quite a busy holiday season. We headed back to Wisconsin for Christmas with my family Dec. 20. We stayed a week. The girls got to have snowball fights, go sledding, build a snowman, make snow angels and eat snow...YUM! We had one bitterely cold, blizzard-like day, but otherwise it was all good. The girls LOVED "Uncle Crazy" and had load of fun with Uncle Jim. Dani is definitely a "Grandpa's Girl" whereas Erin is partial to Grandma. All in all, a good time.
We came home to chaos, in that there were 4 extra dogs at our house (3 we knew about) and 6 extra people. Jeff's family decided to help his mom out by remodeling her home. They took all the furniture out, repainted, put in new window treatments and put in new baseboards. They had tilers replace the carpet and linoleum with tile. Since Jeff's brother/SIL and kids are from California, they stayed with us. Jeff's other sister who is local also stayed with us since Jeff's mom stayed at her apartment. It was pretty crazy. They all left by New Year's Eve so we rang in the New Year quietly.
Meanwhile, Jam and I are prepping for a USDAA show this weekend. And of course, rain is predicted. So far every local show has had rain threatened or has been partially canceled due to rain. Hopefully it won't be too bad.
We're 4 days into 2008 and so far so good! Jeff and I are off cruising the Caribbean again in a couple weeks...woohoo! :)
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