Not only do we have temps in the 110's, but now there's a fair amount of humidity...YUCK! The monsoon season is here, sorta. This means we're supposed to get evening thunderstorms, but so far we've gotten a whole lotta nothing. We've had some wind which kicks up the dust, which coats my SUV, but that's it. Blech.
As a result, we've been spending a lot of time in the pool...all of us. Typically we (the humans) go swimming first, then when we're finished, the dogs get to dive in for their balls. It helps to cool us all off, though the water temperature is 93 degrees!
This intense heat has curtailed what I had hoped to be some progress in Jam's agility training. It's just too hot to even THINK of going out and practicing. We have a show this weekend...I don't know how it's going to go, but I'll hope for the best.
It's just too hot. Too Flippin' Hot.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
School daze
I took Dani for her KIST test this morning. It's a test to determine her readiness for a Kindergarten envirnonment. She'll be starting school in 1.5 weeks...she'll be in Kindersteps. This is a program geared towards children who are 4, but who will turn 5 between September and December. It's a half-day program that follows the Kindergarten curriculum. At the end of the year, we sit down with the teacher to decide whether Dani will go to K the next year, or to 1st grade.
I asked Dani how the test went when she was finished, and she gave me some specifics, but overall, she said she had fun...which to me is really good to hear. The tester just said she did great, though with other parents sitting in the office, I didn't expect to get too many specifics. I'm so excited for her to start school!! I'm hoping to volunteer (as much as a working parent can) and encourage her as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Jam and I went to an open practice last night. It was hot and somewhat sticky, but she performed like a champ! They had a jumpers course set up, which several of us improvised on. The contacts were set up around the outer edge of the field, so we moved them a bit to incorporate them into the course. Jam's nemesis is the down dogwalk contact, so we worked hard on that and she did great! I also did some gambles in the course and she sent out nicely. She also pulled a few bars, which was a result of me giving her poor signals. I have to get better with that.
All in all, a great night and fun morning with Dani! :-)
I asked Dani how the test went when she was finished, and she gave me some specifics, but overall, she said she had fun...which to me is really good to hear. The tester just said she did great, though with other parents sitting in the office, I didn't expect to get too many specifics. I'm so excited for her to start school!! I'm hoping to volunteer (as much as a working parent can) and encourage her as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Jam and I went to an open practice last night. It was hot and somewhat sticky, but she performed like a champ! They had a jumpers course set up, which several of us improvised on. The contacts were set up around the outer edge of the field, so we moved them a bit to incorporate them into the course. Jam's nemesis is the down dogwalk contact, so we worked hard on that and she did great! I also did some gambles in the course and she sent out nicely. She also pulled a few bars, which was a result of me giving her poor signals. I have to get better with that.
All in all, a great night and fun morning with Dani! :-)
Friday, July 6, 2007
Why I took a sabbatical from judging...
OK, so work is a little slow...hence the second post in the same day! :)
Anyway, I thought I'd set the record straight, even though I doubt many people read this blog. Mostly I write this so that if I get asked this question again, I can point them here and people can discover the reason themselves!
I am midway through my year-long sabbatical from judging. Many people speculated on why I took time off. Most people figured I took time off because of what happened at the '06 USDAA Nationals (more later) when in effect, that was simply the tip of the iceberg. I had long since been contemplating a break...the Nationals simply clinched it. Besides, I've been doing this since 1994...I think I deserve a break! :)
The two main reasons why I took a break include:
1. My girls
2. Jam
The girls. I realized that I was spending a lot of time away from the girls. Not only the weekends in which I was physically gone, but also the evenings in which I'd agonize over course design. I found myself telling them more times than I was comfortable..."Mommy's busy...you need to find something to do"...and that didn't feel good.
Jam. She's my new puppy. The first dog I've had to run in 3 years (see
Ponderings for the reason why). I wanted time to concentrate on her and getting her career started. She turned 18 months ("of age" for USDAA agility) in May so I wanted to be able to get her started without having to juggle around judging weekends.
And now, the '06 Nationals. It was stated that the call I made on Blast's teeter performance was questionable. It then came out that I also "missed" a call on DeCaff's teeter performance. These calls were then magnified in a frame-by-frame sequence on a popular site that hosts agility videos. My credibility as a judge was being questioned, which yeah, left quite a chink in my armor. Honestly, I felt that the videographer had no right to do what he did on his website (neither did USDAA), but I have no control over that and will take my lumps.
Speculation flew that this video was then the reason why I "quit" judging. People were saying that I needed a backbone. That I needed to not put myself "out there" if I didn't expect some criticism. I learned early on that a strong backbone is necessary when you become a judge. I have a backbone. And it is strong. And, if you can believe this, I actually begged the USDAA president to judge this Nationals. I WANTED to do it. Now I know why so many judges turn down the offer of judging the top dogs in the big ring. The scrutiny is amazing, yet expected. And I was ready for it.
Bottom line, I will always stand by the calls I made in the split second that is available to me to make the call.
There. Now you know. I did NOT take a year off (yes, only a year...I'll be back in the middle of the ring in '08) because I was slinking away from the public bashing of my calls. It did factor into my decision, but it certainly wasn't the leading and only reason.
Anyway, I thought I'd set the record straight, even though I doubt many people read this blog. Mostly I write this so that if I get asked this question again, I can point them here and people can discover the reason themselves!
I am midway through my year-long sabbatical from judging. Many people speculated on why I took time off. Most people figured I took time off because of what happened at the '06 USDAA Nationals (more later) when in effect, that was simply the tip of the iceberg. I had long since been contemplating a break...the Nationals simply clinched it. Besides, I've been doing this since 1994...I think I deserve a break! :)
The two main reasons why I took a break include:
1. My girls
2. Jam
The girls. I realized that I was spending a lot of time away from the girls. Not only the weekends in which I was physically gone, but also the evenings in which I'd agonize over course design. I found myself telling them more times than I was comfortable..."Mommy's busy...you need to find something to do"...and that didn't feel good.
Jam. She's my new puppy. The first dog I've had to run in 3 years (see
Ponderings for the reason why). I wanted time to concentrate on her and getting her career started. She turned 18 months ("of age" for USDAA agility) in May so I wanted to be able to get her started without having to juggle around judging weekends.
And now, the '06 Nationals. It was stated that the call I made on Blast's teeter performance was questionable. It then came out that I also "missed" a call on DeCaff's teeter performance. These calls were then magnified in a frame-by-frame sequence on a popular site that hosts agility videos. My credibility as a judge was being questioned, which yeah, left quite a chink in my armor. Honestly, I felt that the videographer had no right to do what he did on his website (neither did USDAA), but I have no control over that and will take my lumps.
Speculation flew that this video was then the reason why I "quit" judging. People were saying that I needed a backbone. That I needed to not put myself "out there" if I didn't expect some criticism. I learned early on that a strong backbone is necessary when you become a judge. I have a backbone. And it is strong. And, if you can believe this, I actually begged the USDAA president to judge this Nationals. I WANTED to do it. Now I know why so many judges turn down the offer of judging the top dogs in the big ring. The scrutiny is amazing, yet expected. And I was ready for it.
Bottom line, I will always stand by the calls I made in the split second that is available to me to make the call.
There. Now you know. I did NOT take a year off (yes, only a year...I'll be back in the middle of the ring in '08) because I was slinking away from the public bashing of my calls. It did factor into my decision, but it certainly wasn't the leading and only reason.
Gonna start a practice journal
OK, so I've been slacking lately...really slacking. Class ended last week and Jam hasn't been on a single piece of equipment since. It could be because it's over 110 degrees here, or it could be because I'm too lazy to set up the equipment!
Starting tonight, I'm going to start us on a path to practice a lot more than we do. I'm going to set up the equipment and start working on our weak spot...gambles. We also need to tighten our turns and work on some accuracy! :) My challenge...I have only the following pieces of equipment:
1 teeter
5 jumps
2 sets of 6 weaves
1 tunnel
1 chute tunnel (that's falling apart)
1 tire (sorta...I need to fix it)
I need to be creative to come up with some sets to work on the items I mentioned above. I'm also hoping to go to a couple fun runs to fill in the gaps.
Our next show is in two weeks. There'll be a lot of classes each day (Adv. has a couple double games, plus the GP and Steeplechase) so I need to also build up Jam's stamina in the heat...I'm sure it'll be 90+ degrees. We play ball in the heat almost every day, then when she's hot, she goes in the pool and we play some more ball in the pool. I'm hoping that will help to keep her muscled.
That'll be our last show for quite a while. Our show season in AZ doesn't start until October, so traveling to California is my only option. BUT, it's really hot everywhere and I'm not too keen on sitting outside in the intense heat all day. Sucks cuz now that I've finally got a dog to compete with, the show season has come to a screeching halt. Oh well...I'll pout for a while but I'll get over it! :)
Starting tonight, I'm going to start us on a path to practice a lot more than we do. I'm going to set up the equipment and start working on our weak spot...gambles. We also need to tighten our turns and work on some accuracy! :) My challenge...I have only the following pieces of equipment:
1 teeter
5 jumps
2 sets of 6 weaves
1 tunnel
1 chute tunnel (that's falling apart)
1 tire (sorta...I need to fix it)
I need to be creative to come up with some sets to work on the items I mentioned above. I'm also hoping to go to a couple fun runs to fill in the gaps.
Our next show is in two weeks. There'll be a lot of classes each day (Adv. has a couple double games, plus the GP and Steeplechase) so I need to also build up Jam's stamina in the heat...I'm sure it'll be 90+ degrees. We play ball in the heat almost every day, then when she's hot, she goes in the pool and we play some more ball in the pool. I'm hoping that will help to keep her muscled.
That'll be our last show for quite a while. Our show season in AZ doesn't start until October, so traveling to California is my only option. BUT, it's really hot everywhere and I'm not too keen on sitting outside in the intense heat all day. Sucks cuz now that I've finally got a dog to compete with, the show season has come to a screeching halt. Oh well...I'll pout for a while but I'll get over it! :)
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Celebrating the 4th in 110+ degree temps!
Yup...it was 115 here for the 4th. Not much you can do outside when it's that hot. We did spend some time in the pool (the pool temp was 92!) so that helped us to beat the heat somewhat. We also BBQ'ed, though we didn't spend any significant time sitting outside. Just too hot.
At night, we drove to the fireworks display of a nearby town. We ended up parking on the side of the road to watch a display 1 mile away. I brought a blanket and we all sat on the hood of the SUV while the fireworks boomed and popped in front of us. By that time, it was only 97...woohoo!
I have fond memories of fireworks displays and 4th of July celebrations from the midwest (Wisconsin). I used to picnic with friends on the lake front (Lake Michigan) for the big Milwaukee fireworks display on the 3rd of July. We were so close to the launch area, that burnt-out shells would rain on our heads! It was fabulous. Good friends, good food, good fun and great fireworks!
On the 4th, our small village had their own celebration. A parade, games at the village park, BBQ's, and the fireworks display that evening followed by more parties with friends and family.
I told my husband that one of these years, I want to take the kids back to Wisconsin for a good old fashioned 4th. I'm not too thrilled with how we have to celebrate in the hot desert...I'd like them to see how to "properly" celebrate the Fabulous 4th!
At night, we drove to the fireworks display of a nearby town. We ended up parking on the side of the road to watch a display 1 mile away. I brought a blanket and we all sat on the hood of the SUV while the fireworks boomed and popped in front of us. By that time, it was only 97...woohoo!
I have fond memories of fireworks displays and 4th of July celebrations from the midwest (Wisconsin). I used to picnic with friends on the lake front (Lake Michigan) for the big Milwaukee fireworks display on the 3rd of July. We were so close to the launch area, that burnt-out shells would rain on our heads! It was fabulous. Good friends, good food, good fun and great fireworks!
On the 4th, our small village had their own celebration. A parade, games at the village park, BBQ's, and the fireworks display that evening followed by more parties with friends and family.
I told my husband that one of these years, I want to take the kids back to Wisconsin for a good old fashioned 4th. I'm not too thrilled with how we have to celebrate in the hot desert...I'd like them to see how to "properly" celebrate the Fabulous 4th!
Friday, June 29, 2007
I'm not a natural mother
This is my second marriage. I was married to my first husband for 9 years. We discovered the wonderful sport of dog agility together and acquired 4 dogs together. We always thought we "might" have kids, but it just never came to fruition. And to be honest, I was perfectly happy NOT having kids. I had my dogs...what more could I hope/ask for?
Shortly after our 9th wedding anniversary, my then husband said he wanted to move out. And there was nothing I could do. A friend once told me about a book called "Uncoupling." In this book, it mentions how the person who wants to leave has been thinking about leaving for a while and there is nothing the person left behind can really do about it. The Leaver has come to terms with it while the Leavee feels blindsided. I, as the Leavee, was most certainly blindsided. Course, the fact that he was interested in another woman (a woman I had considered a friend) was the final blow.
Regardless, a few years later I met my current husband. I met him on the internet. There...I said it out loud...I met him on the internet. We met in person at a lake with our dogs. He has a big, goofy Golden (Calvin) and I brought my then dog, Rysa (she has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge). We hit it off and started dating. During our talks and time together, he mentioned that family was important to him and that he would like kids some day. I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't have kids since I was pretty darned old (36 at the time) and set in my ways. Besides, I really enjoyed my life of heading to agility trials whenever I wanted and judging any trial I felt like. BUT, I hadn't completely closed the door.
We were married in August, 2001 and a few months later, we thought we'd give it a go. We got "lucky" the first time we tried and Dani came along 9 months later (I was 38). We decided she needed a sibling and before you know it, Erin was born when Dani was just 17.5 months (I was 39...I was determined not to give birth after 40!).
I had a hard time adjusting to my new life. I now found that I couldn't just head off to any and every agility trial...that I had to consider my family first. This became a balancing act to which I was unaccustomed. I muddled through, but today realize that I'm not doing so hot. Maybe it's because dog agility is a world in which 85% - 90% of the people are either childless or their children are grown and out of the house. I always find myself envying them...because after a show they can go home, prop up their feet and revel in a good day. I go home, sort out what went on throughout the day, then take over from a tired and weary husband.
I find that with my girls, I reach a boiling point much quicker than with the dogs. With the girls, I am impatient and can't stand it when they cry. With Jam, I have endless patience and encourage her to bark (I taught her "talk to me" and she does...with wild abandon!). I am not the type of mom who can think up fun, cute or craftsy-type things to do with them on a dime. I have to force myself to play with them since I truly find it quite boring. I love them and would fight anyone to the death for their rights, but I always feel awkward and unnatural when I do anything with them. It's not a good feeling and I'm trying so hard to work through it.
I seriously doubt I'd ever win any Mother of the Year contests, but for me...I'm doing the best I can. I can only hope that I'm not permanently damaging my girls.
Shortly after our 9th wedding anniversary, my then husband said he wanted to move out. And there was nothing I could do. A friend once told me about a book called "Uncoupling." In this book, it mentions how the person who wants to leave has been thinking about leaving for a while and there is nothing the person left behind can really do about it. The Leaver has come to terms with it while the Leavee feels blindsided. I, as the Leavee, was most certainly blindsided. Course, the fact that he was interested in another woman (a woman I had considered a friend) was the final blow.
Regardless, a few years later I met my current husband. I met him on the internet. There...I said it out loud...I met him on the internet. We met in person at a lake with our dogs. He has a big, goofy Golden (Calvin) and I brought my then dog, Rysa (she has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge). We hit it off and started dating. During our talks and time together, he mentioned that family was important to him and that he would like kids some day. I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't have kids since I was pretty darned old (36 at the time) and set in my ways. Besides, I really enjoyed my life of heading to agility trials whenever I wanted and judging any trial I felt like. BUT, I hadn't completely closed the door.
We were married in August, 2001 and a few months later, we thought we'd give it a go. We got "lucky" the first time we tried and Dani came along 9 months later (I was 38). We decided she needed a sibling and before you know it, Erin was born when Dani was just 17.5 months (I was 39...I was determined not to give birth after 40!).
I had a hard time adjusting to my new life. I now found that I couldn't just head off to any and every agility trial...that I had to consider my family first. This became a balancing act to which I was unaccustomed. I muddled through, but today realize that I'm not doing so hot. Maybe it's because dog agility is a world in which 85% - 90% of the people are either childless or their children are grown and out of the house. I always find myself envying them...because after a show they can go home, prop up their feet and revel in a good day. I go home, sort out what went on throughout the day, then take over from a tired and weary husband.
I find that with my girls, I reach a boiling point much quicker than with the dogs. With the girls, I am impatient and can't stand it when they cry. With Jam, I have endless patience and encourage her to bark (I taught her "talk to me" and she does...with wild abandon!). I am not the type of mom who can think up fun, cute or craftsy-type things to do with them on a dime. I have to force myself to play with them since I truly find it quite boring. I love them and would fight anyone to the death for their rights, but I always feel awkward and unnatural when I do anything with them. It's not a good feeling and I'm trying so hard to work through it.
I seriously doubt I'd ever win any Mother of the Year contests, but for me...I'm doing the best I can. I can only hope that I'm not permanently damaging my girls.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Expectations and dog agility
I competed in a USDAA agility trial with Jam this past weekend. It was our first weekend in Advanced. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. We breezed through Starters rather quickly, so I knew she could "do" agility, but once you get to Advanced, it gets a little harder. The courses are less forgiving and the rules are somewhat stricter. So, Jam and I drove the 7 hours to Moorpark, CA (thank goodness for audio books!!) and had a whole lot of fun!!
Going into this trial, I basically had no expectations other than having fun with Jam and perfecting our on-course skills. The first class was Steeplechase. I had hoped to qualify, but instead we crashed and burned. BUT, her tail and ears were up, she was happy and so was I. The next course was Advanced Standard. We had flashes of brilliance, followed by flashes of silliness...in other words, another non-Q. Again, since I had no expectations, I wasn't disappointed, rather I came away realizing that we have some things to work on and she is a completely different dog than any other dog I've ever run before! Not to mention that she's still considered a baby dog...she's only 19 months after all!
Next came Jumpers. Jam was fast, happy and we were even accurate! :) She pulled the 3rd to last bar so we didn't Q, but her time was fast enough so had she not pulled that bar, we would've won the class. A HUGE positive in my opinion!!
The next class was Pairs. We had a draw partner who turned out to be a very nice Sheltie. We each had a nice run and came away with a Q...Woohoo!!! Our first Q in Advanced. A great way to end the day!
Sunday dawned chilly and misty. I had goosebumps on my goosebumps!! The first class of the day was Gamblers. Jam and I had a fabulous opening, earning more than enough points. The gamble was a jump to the teeter to a jump...you had to push the dog out for the last jump. We did great until the push out...I didn't give her a clear signal so instead, she came into me and barked as if to say..."mom...what do you want? why are you waving your arms??"...oh well!!
Next was Standard. The course was a nice course, very "doable." We ran it, and were clean and 20 seconds under time!! Another Q! :) In fact, we were the only team to Q in Championship on that course. How cool is that?! :)
The final course of the day was Snooker. By then the air had thickened with humidity and the temps were in the low 80's. I had a headache and my tummy was queasy...probably from the trail mix I couldn't keep myself from eating! I plotted a course, then found out I could do 4 reds instead of 3, so I re-plotted the course! Then I watched a few others go before me and changed my mind mid-stream. This can be dangerous, but I look at it as a challenge! When it was our turn, we went in, ran fast and came away with 58 (out of a possible 59) points and another Q!! What a rush! :) We even had 12 seconds to spare!
All in all, we ended up with 3 Q's in Advanced!! How cool is that?! BUT, the most important part is that we had fun in the process. I am competitive, but have learned over the years that if you get tense and put unrealistic expecatations on you and your dog, you will come away disappointed...and so will your dog. Why put that much pressure on when this is supposed to be fun?
I firmly believe that in agility, attitude is everything!
Going into this trial, I basically had no expectations other than having fun with Jam and perfecting our on-course skills. The first class was Steeplechase. I had hoped to qualify, but instead we crashed and burned. BUT, her tail and ears were up, she was happy and so was I. The next course was Advanced Standard. We had flashes of brilliance, followed by flashes of silliness...in other words, another non-Q. Again, since I had no expectations, I wasn't disappointed, rather I came away realizing that we have some things to work on and she is a completely different dog than any other dog I've ever run before! Not to mention that she's still considered a baby dog...she's only 19 months after all!
Next came Jumpers. Jam was fast, happy and we were even accurate! :) She pulled the 3rd to last bar so we didn't Q, but her time was fast enough so had she not pulled that bar, we would've won the class. A HUGE positive in my opinion!!
The next class was Pairs. We had a draw partner who turned out to be a very nice Sheltie. We each had a nice run and came away with a Q...Woohoo!!! Our first Q in Advanced. A great way to end the day!
Sunday dawned chilly and misty. I had goosebumps on my goosebumps!! The first class of the day was Gamblers. Jam and I had a fabulous opening, earning more than enough points. The gamble was a jump to the teeter to a jump...you had to push the dog out for the last jump. We did great until the push out...I didn't give her a clear signal so instead, she came into me and barked as if to say..."mom...what do you want? why are you waving your arms??"...oh well!!
Next was Standard. The course was a nice course, very "doable." We ran it, and were clean and 20 seconds under time!! Another Q! :) In fact, we were the only team to Q in Championship on that course. How cool is that?! :)
The final course of the day was Snooker. By then the air had thickened with humidity and the temps were in the low 80's. I had a headache and my tummy was queasy...probably from the trail mix I couldn't keep myself from eating! I plotted a course, then found out I could do 4 reds instead of 3, so I re-plotted the course! Then I watched a few others go before me and changed my mind mid-stream. This can be dangerous, but I look at it as a challenge! When it was our turn, we went in, ran fast and came away with 58 (out of a possible 59) points and another Q!! What a rush! :) We even had 12 seconds to spare!
All in all, we ended up with 3 Q's in Advanced!! How cool is that?! BUT, the most important part is that we had fun in the process. I am competitive, but have learned over the years that if you get tense and put unrealistic expecatations on you and your dog, you will come away disappointed...and so will your dog. Why put that much pressure on when this is supposed to be fun?
I firmly believe that in agility, attitude is everything!
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