Biennial Blog

It's that time of the year again for Miss Savannah, so I'm blogging to keep track. She's been in about 3 or 4 days, though I'm not exactly sure how long. Our normal alarm system was put out of whack last July when Ethan was fixed. He checks her, sniffs her, likes when she tries to be in charge, but it is absolutely nothing like it's been in the past. He thinks she smells good, but he's not overwhelmed with desire for her anymore. It's truly lovely and confirms, yet again, that neutering him was a good idea.

Not much more to report otherwise. I finally feel humanish after having what I'm 99% sure was the H1N1 flu. I've been sick since new year's eve and still have the nasty phlegm production thing happening. Just went back to my knitting group for the first time yesterday. Just couldn't take the chance of getting anyone sick there.

I ordered some gorgeous bulky yarn over new year's (being sick at home in front of the computer has some perks!) and finished the sweater this week. Wore it Thursday for the first time. I made Emerald from Knitty. Mine's a bit more fitted than the one in the picture. Once I get the button sewn on and the weather cooperates, I'll try to get some pictures. I actually made the medium size - can you believe that?!? Most of the time I'll stick to a large, but Emerald would've been way too big on me if I had left it that way. Now I'm making Bianca's Jacket from an old Interweave Knits magazine. I'm making it longer, because having it skim right at the belly roll just doesn't seem like a good idea! I mean, jeez, look at the picture. Even that wispy model has a tiny belly roll that this length points right at! Still knitting socks nearly constantly, too. I have way too many things planned and nowhere near the time to do them...and I bought more sweater yarn at the Knit Shop yesterday. Glad no one's decided I need an intervention...yet! :)

Work is about to go into crazy mode. Our program application deadline is Monday. The new position/promotion has been good with some frustrations at times. It's still nice to have your work ethic recognized, so I'm appreciative! My wonderful friend, Jenniver, has moved on to her part-time position and her replacement< Jesse, has been great, but I miss her terribly and we've yet to teach him how to knit. Gotta work on that!;)

I plan to go to Albany for the dog show on February 13. I'll bring Savannah if she's not too tempting. :) She'll be in all her fuzzy glory. The only thing that's been "styled" are her pants. I need to get her into an obedience or agility class and find something fun to do with Ethan and Libby, but being sick and work busy-ness is kind of pushing that idea off until March, at the earliest.

Okay, so that's the quick and boring update. Back to blog silence, I'm sure.

Cook Concert in More Detail

Last night, we saw David Cook with the Crash Kings doing an opening set at the Oregon State Fair. We had terrific seats, only three rows back to the right side or stage left side. I actually ended up in the second row, because the people who had tickets in front of us never showed.

I was pretty surprised that anyone was opening, though I knew the Crash Kings had opened Cook's last few shows. The Crash Kings definitely earned themselves some new fans. I'd heard a couple songs, but was really impressed with them live. Tony, the lead singer, has an amazing range and strong vocal ability. Their lyrics are interesting and quirky and they can ROCK! They put out a powerful sound for being a three man band, for sure. I couldn't get great pictures, but there was a fourth guy sitting at the second drum kit doing nothing but rocking to the music the whole time Crash Kings were on stage. You'll see someone with dark hair in a grey hooded sweatshirt and white heart-shaped sunglasses in the stream. That's Tony of the Crash Kings making it clear to everyone that the dude who sat at the drum kit during his set was David Cook in the same outfit and a blondish wig. Figures!

David Cook finally came on at 8:05 and only played until about 9:20 or so. My only complaint is that I'd have loved for him to play longer! He mentioned he's been on tour since February 13th and I'm pretty sure he has at least another couple months' worth scheduled. Can't imagine being on the road that long and working hard to make every night memorable, but he really did. He puts on an entertaining show, his personality really sucks you in, and his music is really good. You get the sense that he's remained pretty humble and he's got quite a sense of humor. The set included many songs from his latest album, an unreleased song called "We're Only Honest When We're Sleeping," a cover of "Hot for Teacher," and a bit of "Hotel California" slipped into "Kiss on the Neck."

So a great time was had by all! I've posted all the pics on my Flickr stream. This was the first time I'd used my camera in low light, so lots of experimenting. Worked best to go auto with no flash, I think, but wiggling at a concert and my low photographic ability are pretty evident. Here are a couple more just for fun, though!

Oh, yeah!

All I can say is he was fantastic! Here is one of many, many pics and probably not the best one. We were pretty close, which was great. Hub really enjoyed it, too, so guess that means I'll get to see him the next time he comes around! Anyway, this is just a quick preview. More to report/post tomorrow. I think I'll have to figure out Flickr to put them all up.

Oh, here's another to prove he was in Oregon...

Photographic Evidence

And here she is, Ch* Wolfrun White Lightnin' ~



Thanks again to Kim and Mark at Samhain Cardigans for the hosting, support, and wonderful friendship! I think I see a family resemblance between the girls, whaddya think? :)

Yippee!!!

Quick post to say thank you, thank you, thank you to Kim K and Mark for being lovely hosts, supporting us so much, and sharing the points this past weekend!

Most of you have already heard the awesome news, but Savannah is now, pending AKC approval, Champion Wolfrun White Lightnin'. She's even got the new crate tag to prove it! Many thanks to everyone who encouraged us along the way and kept us going even when it felt like we were both beating our heads against the wall. Thanks to Judge Cathy H Daugherty for awarding Savannah with Winner's Bitch and Best Opposite Sex for her second major to complete the championship. Now Miss Mud Princess is looking for a good agility class, maybe a bit of tracking, and perhaps herding if the sheep don't remind her too much of Komodors. And, yes, I'm tempted to special her a day or two at Eugene. ;)

Thoughts of the Red Dog or Revised Priorities List

"Hmmm...let's see, sleep, then basketball, then treats, then food, then chewie, then hmmm...what else is there....hmmmm...oh yeah, doggie secks. Oh, wait, I don't like that at all. I might even like the kitties better than that. Why won't she leave me alone? I just want to rub on her and play, but she just won't get out of my way and she just won't play. Geez, really, leave me alone, okay? I don't like you that way anymore. Seriously! Mooooooooooommmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Poor boy really wants to be rescued and can't figure out what the heck Savannah wants. Savannah, on the other hand, er, paw, can't figure out why Ethan doesn't love her and worship at her feet (or other parts). And Libby's just grateful to not get molested anymore when Savannah turns Ef down. He still thinks the face eating is really cute, but he couldn't care less about anything beyond that. Pooooooor Bobannah!!!

Wow!

People said over and over that neutering a dog, even one who has been intact for five years, would make a difference. Did I really believe it? Only slightly. Did I think it would make a big difference? Not really. Did I think it would happen this quickly? Absolutely not! Am I 100% sold on the change? No, but it is truly an amazing transformation.

My five year old dog hasn't been easy to deal with since he was about five months old. He seemed to be mellowing a bit with age, but still, he's not been easy by any stretch of the imagination. The first shocker was taking him in to the vet. The last time he was there, they had us give him a pill to "sedate" him before bringing him in. If anything, it made him worse. We literally had to dump him out of his crate and then had to corner him to try to muzzle him. This time, we didn't give him anything beforehand, took him in the back door, put him up on the table, had them check him and shave a spot to find the vein on his leg and knock him out, all without a single growl, let alone snap. We felt like that was a major accomplishment, but it's continuing and far beyond that.

The next shocker is how he's reacted after surgery. Any past sedation or anesthetic has made him even more unpredictable than usual for at least a month afterward. I'm just hoping what is happening now isn't a different kind of unpredictable, because now has been nothing short of amazing.

Things that would normally set him off don't anymore. The lovey dovey puppy who was sweet to both me and Hub is back. Savannah is in standing heat and he plays with her and thinks she's cute, but that's it. He loses interest quickly and doesn't react badly at all when she tries to eat his face off. He shares chewies and toys and doesn't get as defensive about treats. He's still not a real kitty fan, but he doesn't seem as focused on hating them as he used to be. And the funny little idiosyncrasies he had as a puppy seem to be coming back. He was a very sensitive puppy. He got his "feelings" hurt somewhat easily if scolded and he'd pout a bit until he was sure everything was okay again. He's always come to "check" me when I sneeze or I cry and has been concerned about what is happening with me. Now it seems to be back with both Hub and me. He got in trouble for going into the cat room last night and proceeded to sulk in the back yard until Hub made it clear that he wasn't in trouble anymore. He also stopped playing for awhile when we brought their special toys out because Hub wasn't playing, too. I don't know if Ethan thought he was in trouble again or what, but Hub couldn't play due to a tweaked back and it seemed to really bother Ethan. Once Hub threw the ball from a seated position, Ethan figured all was well and was happy-go-lucky boy again.

So, I'm incredibly amazed. I wouldn't bet on it lasting, I'm "knocking wood" as I talk about it, but I'm hopeful. I won't ever let my guard down entirely, but I'm certainly impressed. Wow!

Marking the seasons...

As is my norm, I'm documenting when Savannah is back in. She's been smelling pretty good to Ef for about a week, but just started showing signs of poochiness today. I thought she'd be in full swing last weekend, so technically, she's about a week or two late. No biggee! Just really glad Ef didn't get a chance to make last time around puppies or something. Of course they'll have to stay separated this time around again. I'm sure Ef could still have some swimmers in there.
Ethan seems to be doing much better today. Tired still, but acting more normal and wanting to spend more time up. He'll probably get to go off leash in the yard a bit today. Just have to keep Savannah from jumping on him and trying to eat his face off in her oh-so-flirty way.
In knitting news, it's just a week and a half to Sock Summit. I've got homework done for two of my classes and need to work on the other three. Fortunately, it's all pretty quick to do. Can't wait!!!

Twitter, how I love thee

I can't believe I'm so hooked to Twitter, but I sooooo am. I don't do Facebook or MySpace...too time-consuming...but Twitter, oh Twitter. I can just blurt out a bit, comment to someone quickly, and run away. And it works so nicely on my new Blackberry. I find out all sorts of things quickly that I either wouldn't find out at all or it would be awhile before I found out. And the links people put up...I love the links. Here are three I enjoyed just from today. One is a pattern for a cute entrelac knit pouch to give entrelac a test drive posted by @knittingnews. Another is a cute video of Boston Terriers diving for a toy in a swimming pool. And another is an article about medieval knitting, probably also from @knittingnews. I've found long lost friends from high school and talk far more with an old friend on Twitter than I have on email since we reconnected. So, if you Tweet, let me know!

On a totally different topic...David Cook will be at the Oregon State Fair on Saturday, September 5. Woot!

Happy birthday to my beloved red dog

Happy birthday to my ornery, sweet, hard-headed, caring, growly, darling, most beloved red dog, Ethan (CH C-Myste Mission Impossible). He's spending a quiet evening in his crate after tweaking a front paw some time today. He did get a new chewie last night, some show bait for memories tonight, and he'll get a long walk and lots of time with his favorite basketball (ironically nearly the same color as he is) when he heals up. And, without further ado, the picture commentary of my boy...

Woot!

After going fourth in open yesterday, Savannah gave me a fantastic birthday present today by going Winners Bitch and Best of Winners for 5 points at the supported entry at the Chinitimini Kennel Club in Albany today. When Judge Honey Anne Glendinning pointed at her for open, I squealed. I was just pleased she did well there in such a large, quality class. I've been stunned ever since she gave her winner's and can't really remember much after that, other than frequent utterances of "Holy crap!" Official pictures will be up by the end of the week. In the meantime, Emily took pictures of today's festivities, so keep an eye out there. Now Savannah has 13 points and one major, so we'll be looking for one more. :)

Almost as good as watching men do housework...

I've become a wee bit addicted to Twitter. One that I follow called Trazzler offers travel ideas and pictures. Today they lured me with "Watching Men Knit on Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca, Peru". Knitting in public on a whole other level! Love it!

For the dog and knitting fans alike....

Saw this on Shannon Okey's blog today:



I've heard all sorts of things about what men do with sheep, but this is pretty amazing! ;) And what about those dogs!?!

If Savannah was a teenager...

...she wouldn't talk to me for weeks when she found out I posted this gorgeous photo of her in her new grooming gear that I affectionately call her track suit. Pink skulls...how fitting!

You can tell by the look on her face just how hard I was laughing. Thank goodness the hubby took the pic on his cell phone! I couldn't have quit shaking in time. I did fold it back onto her neck so her ears could stick up. She's really not thrilled about it, but it did the best job on the shoulder and butt curls of anything I've tried with her, so she's stuck with it!

The Angle Pictures

I took a stab at drawing the angles on two of my three. First is my boy at almost three. First from the side with angles drawn.

Note that the issue here isn't a short upper arm, but a short humerus. The angle's there, but there isn't enough in the humerus to wrap around the chest. He also tends to have a bit of a flat bottomed chest.

Here is an angle shot of my youngest girl. I think she's got great shoulders and she can flat move.

Yep, that's really me and, yep, I no longer am as wide as my dog is long. :) Not the greatest stack of the rear, obviously, and I'm still playing with the wee curl on her butt, but you get the idea. And here's her front.

Hmmm...didn't seem to get a real good one with today's bright lighting, so this will have to do. She also wasn't standing all that well. I think her chest looks better than in this picture...seems washed out and blended into the table. Her pasterns are on the long side, though.

In knitting news, I finished my black sweater. Here is a picture of me in it squinting painfully at the hubby in the bright sun.

Kinda like a really unattractive mug shot, eh? And I should really try to take a pic of it with a shirt other than black under it...doh! Oh, and look a little happier. :) Whatever. At least it's a wee bit of knitting content. This is the second sweater I've ever made myself and the first that really looks like the typical sweater. Now I'm working on a new one that I got through the Malabrigo club that is a gorgeous spring green soft wool. I just hope I can get it finished in time to wear it before summer!

Here we go again...

So, I obviously don't keep the blog up, but it is a great place to track certain things. This one tracks the days Ethan is in love, otherwise known as Savannah's in heat. Again. Right before a show. Again. Lovely! Guess that gives us a good excuse as to why she won't stand still on the table, eh? So sorry to all the boy dog owners!!!!

In other news, work is crazy. Application time again. UGH! I worked 11 hours overtime this week. Craziness!!! I did it so I wouldn't have to work this weekend, though, and it was worth it. I'm off to have the hair colored and cut, followed by a massage later today. That should make up for some of it!

Knitting is good and I'm bad, because I never take pictures of it. And the sun has hidden away this weekend, so it's likely we won't get any new ones, but I'll try to keep an eye out for opportunities. I've got about half a sock to go to finish a pair, I've got ends to weave in and blocking to finish my black alpaca sweater (the first to fit the new me), and lots of odds and ends that I've either made quickly or am trying to finish up. I've joined two clubs this year. A sock yarn club called Sock Yarnista by Three Irish Girls and a Malabrigo club through Eat.Sleep.Knit. I can't keep up with the socks, though, so may only stay in a few more months. The Malabrigo club is for the entire year. This month's shipment is going out today and is for a sweater. Can't wait!

Traci did it again!

Traci tagged me, too, so here goes:

8 Favorite Foods (oh, I'm so limited now!)
Coconut Bliss ice "cream"
Shrimp anything
Steak anything
King or snow crab
Mother's sugar free cookies (though they've gone out of business now)
Skinny Cow chocolate mint Skinny Dippers
Sugar-free Almond Roca
Potatoes of all kinds

8 Things I Did Today
Got ready for work
Answered email and phone calls
Walked to the Duckstore for coffee, trying desperately to keep my nose from freezing off
Put together application packets
Figured out how to pay the whopping repair bill on vanosaurus
Talked to Mom's California bank
Texted my sister
Solved a friend's knitting problem (two socks on one circ!)

8 Favorite Stores (let's try an all online list...)
Little Knits
Discontinued Brand Name Yarn
Blue Moon Fiber Arts (Socks that Rock!)
Etsy
Knitting Warehouse
Amazon
Audible (much easier way to "read" and knit at the same time!)
iTunes

8 Favorite Restaurants
The Wild Duck (now defunct, but my favorite restaurant ever, anywhere)
Kabuki's
Eugene Mongolian Grill
Napoli
Ta Ra Rin
Cafe Yumm
Sakura
Cafe Soriah

8 Things I Look Forward To
Spring
Visiting my dad in Alaska
A trip to Wales and Ireland
Winning the lottery
Reaching my goal of losing half myself (just 36 lbs. to go!)
The next season of True Blood (it just ended last night and I already miss it!)
Upcoming concerts
Yarn sales


8 Things I Like to Do with Family
Play games
Laugh
Reminisce
Camp
Shop
Eat
Craft
Dog stuff (with my "dog family")

8 Things on My Wish List
Peace (on earth, of mind, etc.)
A new wedding ring (mine's getting too big)
That lottery wish
More knitting time
Keeping the weight off once it's all gone
Work to put things back in place once all the weight is gone ;)
A great birthday for my hubby
Great seats when David Cook tours

8 People I Tag
Oh, crud, most I know have been tagged, but I'll tag my sister (she can do it on Facebook) and anyone else who hasn't done it yet and wants to

Something to be thankful for...

My president!!!

Traci did it...

so I thought I'd check it out to see if I live in the right place or not. Hmmm...I'd say I do. And I even said I had no preference as to part of the country. Yup, I'm where I belong, though I have been joking about moving to Canada if things don't go well next month... Thanks for the link, Traci! Here is my list from findyourspot.com:

Portland, OR
Providence, RI
Little Rock, AR (WTF?!?)
Hartford, CT
Eugene, OR (Gee, who'd have guessed?)
Albuquerque, NM
Corvallis, OR
Salem, OR
Baltimore, MD
Worcester, MA
New Haven, CT
Fayetteville, AR (what's up with Arkansas?)
Medford, OR (okay, that stretches my limit of Oregon love...too warm for me!)
Baton Rouge, LA
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC
Charleston, WV
San Jose, CA
Milwaukee, WI
Boston, MA
Danbury, CT
Honolulu, HI
Santa Cruz, CA
Sheboygan, WI (love that name!)

If I didn't have to work and had lots of money, I'd get Hub to hook up the trailer and off we'd go to visit these places I'd supposedly like. Funny how I got so many in Oregon and none in Washington, though I love parts of Washington. I love this sort of stuff!!!

I can't count

So, turns out my math is worse than I thought. Actually, it turns out that I counted bitches wrong. We needed five for two points on Friday, but only had 4. So, Savannah has 8points and is not quite singled out yet. We were dumped yesterday and got reserve today. Bummer! So we'll be trying to drum up majors for Ridgefield (Clark Co. Fairgrounds) Oct. 25 and 26.

On other news, I went in and had my hairdresser get rid of the orange yesterday. This means that both win pics are with the old hair, of course. So, as much as I hate having my picture taken, I'd like to think you'd all be curious, so here you go. Close up, taken by me. Farther out taken by Paul. Yeah, I still need to lose that last 50, but I did find my cheekbones and chin! ;)