A Tax on Vet Services

California is looking at charging a sales tax on veterinary services. There are other states that have this tax (Hawaii, New Mexico, and South Dakota).

I gotta tell you I'm torn.

The argument against is that people won't take their pet to vet services. I just don't think that is a valid argument. Let's say the vet visit is $100. If you put sales tax against that, then the visit would be $108.25.

I have to ask myself, would $8.25 cents stop someone from taking a dog to the vet? Probably not, it would be the $100 that would do it.

So isn't the answer that like everything, having a pet is a responsibility. Humans need to make sure they have the $$ to keep the pet happy and healthy (probably not happening in my lifetime - but I can dream).

Another answer is what we have today, generous people putting together funds that assist individuals who have pets to get them check out, and spayed.

However, if the California government is looking for ways to increase revenues, then they should look broader than one group (pet owners). I heard that "movie tickets" are not taxed. Now really, I'm not sure how many of us actually go to the movies anymore, but for goodness sake, why aren't movie tickets taxed? Could it be that there are huge lobbyists supporting this notion of no tax on movie tickets.

I'm not for Taxes, believe me. I'm actually one of those flat tax types who would like to see all hidden deductions go away and if you make $100, $13 goes to the better good (after the first $40,000). But in the mean time, I don't think the government is the "bad guy" for trying to figure out ways to pay for state costs.

I do however think it is criminal that they increase taxes in one area and not in others due to lobbying.

I'm not sure how I'm going on this one, but here is the link to the petition to tell the California Government that you don't want them to tax pet vet services: http://www.petpac.net/action/petitions/stop_the_pet_owner_tax

Go for it.

Fitness for Agility - more soup

Ok, so I'm taking this soup thing seriously.


Yesterday I wanted to do a mock minestrone soup. I really don't know how to make minestrone, but I was looking for that hearty flavor that we find in a minestrone.


Tossed some chicken broth in the crock pot with beef shank and porchini mushrooms (mom says I could have just used water as the beef would make it's own stock. Added garlic and onion and let that cook for about 4 hours.


I took out the beef and found there was alot of fat. Didn't want that so I skimmed it off added zucchini, carrots, more mushrooms and cut off the meat and tossed that back in. 2 more hours on low.


Raised the level to high and tossed in some white beans and string beans. The result was fabulous. Very hearty soup.


Kel said it was the best yet! Yum. No picture. Laura says soup pictures look like intestines not yummy at all. I'll refrain from showing more intestines on my blog.



Instead, you get to see sheltie pictures from halloween (thanks to mom for the costume!):

And the Dufus Award Goes to...

Only one day of agility this weekend found Tazz and I "almost" q'ing in every run. He did Q in Grand Prix (Yeah Baby!), and his standard was fabulous, if only he didn't pop out of that last pole! :) Would have q'd in pairs, but I missed a jump (dufus points!).

Havoc and I started off pretty wild. Our standard run - I thought it was the same course as I had run with Tazz, but Havoc certainly didn't agree. We had great fun providing much enjoyment for the crowd as Havoc cheerily made up her own course.

Laura ran Havoc in Grand Prix and not only Q'd, but took first place! Zoowza! I guess I can be thanked for getting all the wide turns and off courses out of her system.

Steeplechase found me running both Tazz and Havoc.

First Havoc. Q! I'm still giddy over it. We didn't get it on video, but all the more better as I can remember it as a "perfect" run. We did have one bobble as I didn't give her enough of a push to go up the A frame so had to bring her back around to take the A frame. Even with that extra time, she came in a solid 4th place! She is so much fun to run!

Tazz: I ran Tazz 11 dogs after Havoc. I ran back to the car with her, got Tazz out and ran back. I had one dog to go and then we were on the start line. All went well, Tazz had great speed off the line, then all went bad. I front crossed in the wrong place and found myself with no where to go and falling over the jump. I started to yell, "Ahhhhhhhhh" and then "I" jumped the jump. Tazzie was so confused, but jumped the jump and then we continued on. Unfortunately, there is a rule about humans taking the jumps and I "E'd," but I was proud that I didn't knock the bar! (More dufus points toward my award!)

A short weekend, a migraine last week caused me to have too much work to do and I had to come home to work on Sunday.

I'd have video, however, I still don't have the upload cable. I'll get it soon.

A Shout out to LP

A New Bait for only $9.00!

This is Kazee. She is a half sister to Fin and obviously her owner has found a cool way to make some quick cash.

I'm thinking it is a little cheap for such a cutie pie, but this is the east coast and I've heard there are great bargains on the east coast.

Accelleration....Deaccelleration

So, all of a sudden, Fin doesn't know how to do contacts any more. It is the weirdest thing. All my trainers and friends say, "This is a good thing...get it out of the way and it won't happen in competition!"

Good thing my ass! I want my beautiful, fast, edgy, barely there, speed demon, crazy, contacts back! Instead I get, is this it? how bout this? This is it, I know. Ok not that, how bout this?

The picture you see is a dog stopping at the top of the A frame and looking at me, stopping halfway down, looking at me, jumping off running by two jumps into the tunnel, looking at me. Me saying calmly, "No, lie down." Her saying in a sing song voice, "I don't hear you!"

God help me. Why oh why.

OK, I know they'll come back. Back to basics with a target. We'll get em back. It's just, come on, we've already been here!

Enough whining or I'm going to have to go into rehab. Let's talk about what this Blog is about.

Today we are going to talk about indicating a turn. What really indicates a turn? Well in my class yesterday, a light bulb went on.

I've been worried that Fin is going too wide on her turns. Even though I've been working on acceleration and deceleration for a while now. Last night I worked on it with Fin without alot of voice (the toughest part for me) and low and behold Fin understands that when I start to slow down, I'm indicating a turn. If I start to slow and cross behind I'm indicating a turn away from the side I'm on, if I decelerate and stay on the same side it is a turn to that side. I don't have to yell anything. How cool is that?

Ok, not cool enough to give up my contacts, but pretty cool nonetheless.

So what I learned in a short 30 minute session is that her going wide was all my fault (did anyone have any doubt that it wasn't my fault?). It was due to me not using proper acceleration/deceleration. One of the tips my trainer suggested (something I should probably know) is when walking my course to not only look for where the turns were and determine the best way to indicate the turn (FC, RC, threadle, Serp), but also to look for where you will accelerate and decelerate. Good advise.

Now I'm going to go work on my contacts.

Agility Dogs Walking

Went for an off leash walk today. Took everyone. Lots of fox tails, but I figured I'd groom when I got home. Here Rocky is running to Kel and Fin is coming out of the brush to ambush him. Sometimes I think Fin is part cat.

Kel was the photographer. He got all four to sit quietly for a few snapshots. I love my dogs.

Rocky limped the entire walk, but still had some go in him to chase Fin through the dead grass. He was a happy boy.

For some reason, Fin spent a weird amount of time either bouncing/running or stopped in the grasses.

While they ran around enjoying the freedom, I spent a good deal of time removing dead plant material out of their coats.

On the way home.