It is always difficult to get all the dogs to pose together...

The day we saw Sherlock Holmes

Date night was a visit to the movie theater to see Sherlock Holmes.  Totally Rocked!

Fun stuff, action, and a good story. 

Recommend it. 

It is catchup time!

It has been awhile.  The dogs and I have been up to loads of mischief.

I have a big project that I'm working on.  Cleaning out my attic and bonus room.  Between work, working dogs, and getting rid of the "unique and wonderful items that may have been stored for over 12 years" aka "crap" outta my life, I haven't had time for such pleasures as writing a blog.

Today, I can say, "Every box from the attic has been opened and gone through."  Yippiee!!!!  I have a pile of stuff for the dumps.  I have been taking stuff to goodwill.  I have a few valuables that I don't know what to do with.

Now that the attic is done, I will clean out the bonus room.  My husband wants a man cave and I want an exercise room for me and the dogs.  I think we'll be able to accommodate both in that big bonus room.  I feel like a huge load is lifting from my shoulders.  I hardly recognize myself!

This past weekend was the annual chill fest.  Where we in northern California have a trial in Santa Rosa that has the reputation for being serious cold.  You've got to be tough to get through this trial and once again it didn't disappoint. 

I know, I know.  You people in the other parts of the country are trialing in snow.  Oh, I get it.  But you must understand that when that temp gets close to 30 here, only the true "crazies" do agility. I honestly don't know how anyone runs in all these cloths.  I had to take stuff off to run, and then put it all back on.  Just going to the restroom for a quick break becomes a huge deal with having to peel all the layers to get to the point you can actually use the facilities.  Yikes it is cold.

December is our annual team event.  First team event to qualify for USDAA nationals.  Our team "EAT MONKEY FISH" did great.  SpaceMonkey teamed up with two shelties (Fin and "world team member Manja Kajava").  Our best event was the Standard where we placed 3rd among some top teams!  Snooker and Gamble...not so much.  Our relay was like a clown skit, but we got through without E'ing.

A nice big Nationals Q for the three of us.  Seriously, I think Monkey really liked teaming with the munchkins.  There were some wooo wooo'ing going on this weekend.

Team Standard was a fun course.  I was a little late in places, but Fin and held it together for a 3rd place behind our team mate Manja and Mr. Big.

After the team event, we had two more days of agility.  My favorite run of the entire weekend was not one I Q'd in.  It was jumpers, late at night on Sat.  Fin does go into the wrong end of the tunnel, but I just kept going and it was blazing fast.  If I had only decelled just a tad at the end she would have gotten that jump...but I was just moving and didn't stop, so she went around it.  I still just loved the run.

Steeplechase round one was fun.  We got our Q and the beginning was really fast and wonderful.  I got a little behind after the second A frame that caused a bit of a miscue but we were clean and now are qualified for Nationals in Steeplechase as well as Team.

What still alludes me is that silly Grand Prix.  I'll get it next year.

Fin and I are done competing for 2011.  We will start up again in 2012.  We'll be working on our contacts and taking the jump that is in front of you over the next few weeks.

Some Ups and downs

Went to a USDAA this weekend. 
Saturday started sorta weird.  I had a feeling that Fin didn't feel well.  I couldn't put my finger on it, but just a gut feeling.  Decided to skip classes in the middle of the day when my friend said she just didn't look herself (not me seeing something that wasn't there).  Let her sleep for a couple hours and then took her for a walk.  She seemed better to me.  Ran her around and went ahead and ran her in Steeplechase.  A great run with a off course tunnel entrance. 

And then a jumpers with of all things, an off course double. 

Today I only ran 3 runs, Jumpers, Standard, and GP.  Nice stuff in all, but going around stuff still is Fins Achilles heel.  Our Grand Prix was beautiful and she choose to go around a double off the A frame. I was then pushing the envelope trying for some distance in the weaves and just stretched it a bit too far and got a pop out of the weaves, miss cue to the 180, but I do like the ending.  I felt very brave with my front cross :)

Overall, I was a little sad that we didn't Q more.  But I was so happy to have my girl back on Sunday and I was also very grateful for health and well being.

Most of all, I'm so very sad I didn't video tape my friends most fantastic run with SpaceMonkey.  I'm a freak and I know it!

What's a girl to do....

Work is a bit slow right now.  Hours are limited for my project.  So guess what we get to do in the middle of the day!?!  Off we went for a nice walk.

Tazz N Fin found some nice road apples of which they are sharing.  Gross in my mind, but they love it and who am I to judge what anybody wants to eat.

We had a lovely 1.5 hour walk back and forth.  Then a 10 minute romp in the creek before heading back to the car. 

The one stretch that is difficult is the part I have to share with the bikes.  Darn my dogs are not good with bikes.  I'm working on it, but hard with the two.  Fin is so good by herself...add Tazz and I have two whirling dervishes...lord what people must think.

My thoughts.  Even bad dogs need exercise.

The UKI Nationals are in my backyard and I'm not there :(

This weekend is the UKI Nationals.  I signed up, but didn't go.  Fin was so incredibly tired after powerpaws camp, I just felt she needed a weekend at home.  Nothing could make me more depressed then if she injured herself because I did too much stuff over too many weekends.

Instead I stayed home to wrangle up all the dust bunnies, take a couple hikes, visit my sisters house she has made an offer on, and hang out with my husband for a change. 
I keep hearing about the different dogs and how they are doing.  The courses look so much fun.   Hopefully it won't be too far away next year.  Totally something I'd like to do.
Tomorrow, more work on setting up the computer and if I'm really lucky, the computer will actually communicate with the printer.

Ahhh the newness of it all...

Got a new computer.  The old one seriously sucked.  But at least it had all my "stuff" on it.

Setting up a new computer should not be this hard.  I used the easy connect to transfer data and that corrupted files.  So back to the old fashioned way of just doing it all by hand.

Dogs are sitting at my feet wondering why the heck I don't leave the darn computer.  I guess it is time for a walk!