LIfe is like a box of chocolates

procrastination

I work at home. I use a computer from my client. My client sent me a new computer and said, "Your old one is old and could break at any moment, set up this new one." Did I listen? Did I save my data? Am I stupid? Do I feel like an idiot?

If you answered No, No, Yes, Yes....you'd be right.

Now I'm scrambling. Lost the last few days of work. Old computer won't turn on. New computer not set up. YIKES.

Client no longer "supports" old computer.

Can you say, "Panic."

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Sleep is a wonderful thing. When I get enough, it really isn't something I think about. When I don't get enough, well, its practically all I think about.

Last few nights haven't been all that productive in the sleeping department. What is interesting is what I notice when I'm not sleeping.

Walking around the house, I see all the dogs in their places:

• Rocky under the bed
• Maddie on the floor under the open window
• Fin in the old green chair that I refuse to toss because she loves it so
• Tazz on the end of the bed
• Kel sleeping soundly making little snoring sounds

The moon shines in through my skylight and the light in the room is quite pretty. Not one dog lifts a head as I plod around in the dark but I see sets of eyes watching me. I guess they are used to it.

I wonder if I get the camera and take pictures if that would bother anyone. I decide not to. I imagine that the flash might wake Kel up. Instead I think about sleep.

When the alarm wakes me up I think about sleep some more. I guess I get a few more hours tonight. Why is it that right this minute I know I could sleep for hours.....

Somethings Smelly

Situation: I absolutely had to clean my carpets in the living and dining room. Ten years and 4 puppies later, no excuses, must clean.
Opportunity: No furniture! Let's practice nosework!
Husband response: Are you nuts?!?

After cleaning the carpets, letting it dry, took the opportunity of an empty room and I had a couple friends over and we practiced our nose work with eight dogs.

None of the eight had been to the seminar. So we started with just a line of boxes (of course I didn't get any photos of that...too busy making boxes line up and hiding toys/food pouches).

By the 3rd session, all the dogs were getting the game and we brought in a few things for distractions. Unfortunately, the dustpan I brought in had a bunch of crap in it and when I put it on the carpet upside down, we had to "take a moment" so I could vacuum up the mess. Then we got back to bizness.

Each pup caught on quickly.

We are still in the box stage, and the indoor stage. But it sure is fun.

All the pups seemed really happy to be working.

Notice how clean my carpet looks!

Nope, the toy is not there!

Each dog got three sessions with 3-4 hides each session. Took a little over 2 hours and we all had a good time.

Next step is to do this somewhere else. Anyone else cleaning carpets? We'll come over and move furniture for you!

Robot names

Thanks Tai Mutt Hall for the cool procrastination thingy:

Get Your Cyborg Name

Mine: Vituous Intense Compulsive Insomniac

Mine: Tenuous Asset Zestful Zealot

Funtastical Iconic Neuron

Mine: Musical Addiction Desired Destiny In Earnest

Mine: Rumbly Orator Concerned Klepto Yipper

Kaleidoscope Electric Lore

Agile Adjustment

Many of us take our dogs in for adjustment. Fewer of us take ourselves in for adjustment. I think more of us should go for a "mind" adjustment. A tweak here, a crack there, and everything seems to be a bit more colorful and bright.

I love agility more than just about anything, but it is more than just doing "sumptin" with my dog. I can do lots of fun things with my dogs, walking, hiking, clicker, sheep, ball, visiting friends... With agility, there is excitement, friendship, hardship, nature, companionship, competition, improvement, strategy, coordination, fitness, relaxation, all wrapped up into one thing.

I think alot about motivation when I think about agility. For many years I have run a dog that really doesn't get all that excited about agility. Sheep he gets excited about. Agility, not so much. How come I keep going?

I think because there is more to this sport than qualifying. I enjoy the learning process, the destination is out there, but the getting there is fun. I also believe that good friends have made a huge difference in my motivation for the sport. Even though my team might not be the fastest, I hang out with folks that are really cool and we support each other. I am hopeful that as a team Tazz and I will get better, and now that Fin is part of my team, no question about motivation.

But as I travel my road with Fin, I don't want to loose site of what has kept me here. I don't want to take any of this for granted.

I still get excited every time another premium is posted. Each time more information about the trial is posted I greedily go and read all about what is going on. I look at the trial statistics, the running orders, who I'm paired with. Location maps. I plan where I'll set up and where my car will be parked. I review the workers schedule to ensure I have enough time to not only run my dogs, but to watch my friends run theirs.

I can't wait to get course maps when I arrive so I can sit with my friends and plan our attack for the day (of course much of it changes when you walk the course, the planning is half the fun).

When the moment arrives, I'm still a little nervous. Walk up to that start line and WHAM! it is over pretty quickly.

Then the memories of the run. Was I where I wanted to be? Did I give my dog the best path? Where could I have shaved off time? Lots of things to talk about with friends.

At the end of the day, we clean up the field, pack up the equipment and head home. Results are posted and statistics managed. Sometimes this is the point I am low, just a moment of regret, the trial is over, questions persist, could I have done better? But another trial is on the horizon. I look forward with optimism and know that "I'll do it next time!"

Team Small Dog raised a question today. Is agility better than pie? It is close, pie is pretty high up there...but I would have to say, "Yes, agility is better than pie" However, I must state the obvious and say that "pie" can help with the mental adjustment.

Fiction, Fantasy, or Reality

So my memories from this weekend are actually quite good. I was walking around thinking, "I'm almost there, Fin and I are doing really well." I remember doing AMAZING things with my dogs. Yes, the reality is that we didn't Q except for one course, but as I remember, it was only minor little things that prevented us from Q'ing. I love my memories. I smile when I think of the weekend. I tell my husband, "You should have been there! It was great!"

Reality Sucks.

The videos arrived today. My memory is not quite accurate. In many of Fins runs my handling is horrible. Tazzies runs are actually not bad. My handling has improved drastically for him. Fin, another story. I have to ask myself, "WHAT WAS I THINKING?"

Let's take the one class we Q'd in, Snooker. I remember that being fast and furious. Furious was right. I sent her often in the wrong direction. Sure I was able to bring her back and get the Q, but for goodness sake, my handling is NOT helping her.

Then there is her Masters Standard on Sunday, actually a nice run but..... It is my fault we didn't Q as I let her go early off the table. For goodness sake, I need my head examined. So not only did we not Q, but I let her break her start line stay... oh boy...

Although she placed 2nd in both her team standard and team gamble, when I watch the runs, I'm not real happy. I'm glad she and I have a light schedule coming into August. Lots of opportunities for practice.

Here is team standard. Ok, we didn't E and did get 2nd place, but geeze there are times I'm not sure where "I" was sending her due to late crosses, how is she supposed to know where to go.

Yes, yes, I know. She is speedy. Give myself a break.... well the hard truth is I have high goals and I will need to improve to get those. There are moments that I can see myself doing well, but I need to move and I'm standing still too much.

Am I totally depressed? No, not totally. I'll get there eventually. Sometimes being an optimist is good. Sometimes not video taping your runs and living in a fantasy is better.

Where has the time gone?

This week has just flown by (and a busy week in my future). Here are the cliff notes version of life and times:

- Back on the fitness wagon. Fell off but with help from a few good people and a "god helps those who help themselves" attitude, climbed back in the wagon and riding along nicely. Lost 2 pounds last Thurs.
- Wed had an incredibly good practice at our PowerPaws class. Fin was excellent. I was darn good. Fin had another adjustment and is doing better, but her narrow front is concerning and I need to do more conditioning. Time...it is so precious.
- Thurs worked in the morning and off to Prunedale to set up for the weekend.
- Friday FIVE runs for team. Fin was amazing. The first two runs of the day she took 2nd place! She took a 3rd in Snooker and a 4th in jumpers. Unfortunately, an off course in our relay did not help our team. Our team had too many "E's" and although we had a GREAT time, we didn't Q. Thanks to my team mates Laurie with Bling and Terry with Archer. I had a fabulous time with 3 Good Bi's. A pleasure to run with the big dogs!
- Saturday, a day of almosts. Ran Fin and Tazz. They were back to back runs the first two classes of the day so I asked Laura to run Fin in Standard but I did all the rest. Nine runs total. All really nice runs with minor little things and no Q's heading into the last run of the day - Snooker. I love Snooker. Made a plan with flow, didn't go for the top numbers, kept it simple. Fin took 3rd and Tazz took 4th. Both Q's. Fins first "Masters" Q. I'm proud and a nice way to end day 2.
- Sunday. Am I getting up again at 5:30 to go do agility? Why yes. I only stayed for the first two classes. Gamble and Standard. The standard run was a thing of beauty if you don't look at Fin self releasing at the start line and her handler (who could that be?) letting her go on. I felt great throughout the run and finished thinking we had a Q in the bag. However, no Q for me. Judge called early leaving of the table, said Fin anticipated leaving the table and left before she said the last "o" in go. Darn it. A fun run. Gamble...well, only 6 dogs got the gamble and we weren't one of them.

Today, work, work, more work. I have some pork cooking in the slow cooker with ginger, garlic, and basil. Four dogs at my feet, and thoughts of getting my spreadsheet done so I can do something other than enter data in little cells dancing in my head.