New Normal

I'm pretty settled into my new place and routine. I think the D-O-G is too. That's what I see when I drive up & park in front of my apartment. Look closely that's him, because he likes to look out of the window to see what's going on. All the neighbors in my breezeway know him by name. I think he thinks he's a star. LOL!

I have come to the realization that there will just be some unpacked boxes. Mainly because I have 1 less room than I did in Georgia, ok it's because I have more stuff than I really need. There I said it. So now what? I still need to connect my printer & desktop computer. One day soon!

Well, my stomach says it's time for breakfast...

Welcome Home!

This morning my dog woke me up at about 3:30am. I rolled over when I realized what time it was, just yelled at him to lay down. But he kept whining & was at the side of the bed with his paws on the edge of the bed so he could look in my face. I thought about it & realized that since he was whining & persistent I should get up & take him out.

I am glad I did, because he did have to go. He takes care of business and back in the house we go. So I can get that last hour of sleep before work. He was still whining a little, but he laid down and I dozed off until the alarm went off.

Out we went again his normal time, but really it's only been an hour. He takes care of business again.

Now I am into my normal morning frenzy, and he was acting a little unusual. As I am getting my lunch together I look at him and see that he still looks sick because he starts as if he is about to throw up. I run to the door leash in hand, "D-O-G come on!" Too late! (he used to run to the door in our other house.) OK so now I go to the kitchen to get paper towels. When I come back to the spot...I see that my conscientious dog has cleaned up his mess. Umm, yeah he licked the carpet. Note to self will shampoo the carpet this week.

I have to get to work. Oh if only someone made doggy saltines. I get all my stuff together and leave the doggy and the house for work.

Hours later I'm Back home! Oh boy my doggy is happy and he's better. The spot on the carpet appears to be the same size...I don't see any more spots. Cool! And then I turn around. Woe is me. Doggy diarrhea on the carpet. My last thought on the way to work, "I should put him in the bathroom & close the door."

But I must have really wanted to shampoo my carpet today. Oh, what a wonderful way to end a long work day. I pretty much hit the spots with the shampoo-er. I'll have to do the whole thing this on my off days.

So the lesson of the story. Stop! Do what your mind tells you to do.

At least I own a carpet shampoo cleaner. No vet bill that I can't afford. It was a nice almost 70 degree day. And I'm sure I provided entertainment for anyone that could see me on the back porch washing the back half of the D-O-G. It's a wonderful day in the neighborhood!

High Five!

I think the squirrels are sitting somewhere playing Truth or Dare. What else could it be when they run out in the street, but decide to cross back as you get close? They are devious little suckers...My question is what do they do when one of doesn't make it across the street?

I know that they are taunting my dog...frolicking through yards running up the tall pine trees. I just have to remember to wear my sneakers when I take him for a walk...so I can plant my feet firmly as he runs to the end of the leash.

Squirrels, it's about to be winter, I hope they hibernate. Because I need a break from those devious little critters. LOL!

Rainy Days & Old Friends

I guess I'm about to ramble a little. OK maybe Rambler is my middle name.

I woke up today and thought today was Saturday. For anyone that works a traditional Mon - Fri schedule that is like you waking up on Thurs thinking it's Fri. So now it feels like I have to work a whole extra night this week. Ugh!

One of my friends that I grew up with was an only child like me. We lost touch over the years, but thanks to Fa.ceb. ook we have been communicating again. Well, at some point over the years she met her father, and she has 4 or 5 sisters & brothers. So not only is she an aunt, but she is a great aunt. A very proud aunt at that. She has some pictures of the newest niece. Something about a picture of a chubby baby that clears up rainy day blues. Heck the pictures of her nephew with his baby sister, even out weighs that extra day I had added to my week. LOL!

My dog is scared of the thunder. So when I move, he move (just like that?) ha! ha! Thanks Ludacris. Corny? Yeah, ok. Umm, so it is best that I sit rather than trip on the DOG. Well, he does make a good 40 lbs foot warmer.

Oh it may be too late but I try to keep up with free stuff and today there are free donuts here & here.

Yeah! The sun is out! The sun is out!

Plant Your Feet & Hold Tight!

I am always amazed that it seems animals have a schedule that they are on daily. I guess you can argue that their schedules may be determined by humans having food, letting domestic pets out etc. When I used to live in Texas I saw cattle head in during the evening hours on my long 70 mile drive home from work. (Yeah 70 miles each way.)

But back to the point that I am meandering to. There is a cat in my neighborhood that must cross my yard at about 5 pm each evening. I know when he is passing from front yard to back yard, because it drives my dog CRAZY. The DOG starts whining, barking & pacing from the front door to the back patio door. He looks through the vertical blinds and he sees the cat so he is pretty frantic at that point.

Yesterday, I decided to check my mail and just take the dog out with me. So with slippers on my feet (at 3 pm) I put the leash on the dog and opened the door. Well I what I didn't know was that the cat has taken to laying in the shade under my car. The doggy realized this immediately and took off after the cat that bolted down the street. Fortunately my reflexes were good enough to let go of said leash rather quickly. Because my feet weren't planted and I could have easily been pulled along face first on the pavement, oh that would have hurt.

So now I have to put on real shoes & go find the dog. I grabbed a treat, I know rewarding the dog for running off is not a good thing. But I needed something to distract him from the cat. By the time I got it together and walked back out to the street, the dog was coming home panting. Great! And since there weren't any cat hairs around his mouth, I must assume the cat got away. LOL

So today when we went out for a walk I was ready just in case the cat was on a different schedule today. My feet were planted & I was holding on tight to the leash.

I was wrong!

It's been 4 years and I thought he was Chinese, but nooo he's actually Japanese. I guess I can blame the Dr. well the vet. Yes, I am talking about my D-O-G, not a person. I guess it was the black tongue. He is by no means a full bred anything. He became a member of my family because a friend had 2 female dogs and too many puppies. He might be a combination of both, because his hair can grow long and he has that look like a lion. But the long snout always made me doubt his chowness as well as his size. He is smaller than a chow. I believe that he is part Shiba Inu.

When I was reading the information about the temperment of the Shiba Inu...I thought OH this is D-O-G. I think I read that they are born practically house broken...which amazed me about my dog. Once he learned where "OUT" was he was pretty much house broken. That took almost no work...Also when I read that they are fastidious and almost like cats about grooming...I thought wow that is my dog. I don't know how many times I have awaken to hear him in the corner just licking himself, paws & all.

Fortunately he doesn't have a high pitched scream that it appears the Shiba have...but like I said he isn't full blooded anything. Finally, this article/advertisement had me in tears (laughing), because I could relate. I already knew that if I wash him at home I needed to use the smallest bathroom in the house..or outside must stay on the patio..Want clean dog. When I could afford it I took him to a groomer. But now we can't afford that, so I try to go to the self-service dog wash...I can stand up & wash him, and there are hooks & restraints to help keep him in place.

It's good that I think I now know what my mutt really is. But I love him whether he is Chinese or Japanese, or both.

FYI that is a baby pic at the top...