Friday, July 30, 2004

Bucket is Confused.

We have the most dysfunctional dogs on the face of the planet. It's official.

You'll remember how proud I was that our boy Bucket had finally learned to lift his leg to pee? What an amazing moment in puppy parenthood that was! I must have made too big a deal out of it, or perhaps the boy's brain is addled, because tonight while on our walk, I witnessed the following: Bucket approached the mail box like any other--sniffing earnestly, determining whether he needed to leave a reminder to the other dogs that this is his neighbourhood, too. He then proceeded to lift his leg....and pooped! I wish I was kidding. I would love to have the imagination required to make something like this up. But no, he really did lift his leg as though going for the Mark, and pooped. He even looked confused when it happened, sort of like "Uh-oh...that's not what I meant to do..." I nearly fell over laughing, and I'm not sure that helped much, because then he tried to stop and walk away, dingleberries and all.

On an up-note though, after last night's dog-walk-near-catastrophe*, I decided to walk them separately tonight. It went swimmingly. Bucket didn't have to wear his Halti, which he was ever so grateful for and repaid by walking nicely by my side nearly the entire time. We even stopped to say hello to some kids, and despite some bit of skittishness (something about little kids kind of freaks him out), he eventually even did "sit" and "wave" at their commands (I gave them treat-bribes to give to him). Delilah had to wear her Halti, but without him there, she walked really nicely and even looked up at me from time to time. Not adoringly like Bucket, but I'll take any attention I can get from her at this point. So we had two shorter walks instead of one long one. Let me rephrase that: I had two shorter walks instead of one long one. The kids each got to walk for about 20 minutes. Not really enough, I know, but it's a start. I would love to say that this will become the norm again, but I would probably prove to be a liar. It's just more time-efficient to take them both at the same time...although it was much more pleasant to be with them separately (except for the whining and crying when they crated alone...you'd think the sky had fallen!). Anyway.

It's already 9:37pm. Russell's playing WoW, so I'm going to read some more of my book and hit the hay. The dogs have (touch wood) actually been pretty good about not being all wakeful and annoying in the mornings, so perhaps I'll get some good sleep...

*My biggest pet peeve in the world by far at this point in time is people allowing their dogs to run loose in their yard--or the neighbourhood. The whole "oh, ____ is a great dog and always minds me and wouldn't hurt anyone" bullshit really doesn't fly with me. Last night we had issues with both a Rottweiller and a Jack Russell Terrier...want to guess which one was worse?

Thursday, July 29, 2004

The Blustery Day

Gomez via Winamp, a heavy misty fog over the city, and another 8 hours at "work" staring me in the face.  I have a few small things to take care of, but mostly I'm looking at another day of rather abysmal prospects--at least where keeping busy is concerned.  Would that I had the prerogative to just stay home on days like this (note: I never realised that word was spelled like that! I had to look it up just now.). *sigh*

There was another couple came to see the house yesterday afternoon, but again I was unable to get away to retrieve the puppies, so I don't know how it went.  Monica said she could go over and get the dogs out, but I'm wagering she didn't.  It was raining, and who wants to walk strange dogs in the rain?  I need to call her anyway, because the flyers she FINALLY got out yesterday (after I called, what, Sunday?) are all wet with said rain.  Again: *sigh*  Things just aren't happening the way they should.  I should probably, in fact, just dig up good ole St. Joseph before I ruin his reputation further.

So it's Thursday. Two more days til the weekend.  I mowed Tuesday night, but with the rain I'll probably have to do it again before Monday rolls around.  Gotta put the mower back together...  Gotta get the hell out of here and see my honey before I go seriously mad.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Damn!

I keep thinking that it's Wednesday, although I'm not sure why.  As I started to open up this page to blog, it occurred to me that it is indeed only Tuesday and I have three more days of gruellingly boring work to suffer before the weekend.  At which time I will be free to sit my happy ass down in front of *this* computer to play or blog or whatever.  It's supposed to rain anyway.

I just came in from mowing the lawn, so I hope that it does rain.  I really don't want to have to haul out the sprinkler--I can't imagine the chaos that will ensue once the pups get a load of that contraption.  Russell said it was raining in Phoenix, so maybe that's what's heading our direction.  I had to take the lawn mower apart again to clean the fuel filter.  Seems like I just did that, but I guess it has been a couple of months, and I have had to mow about every 3-5 days...  That's a lot of grass and dust.  The mower is starting to cut out a lot, and it's bellowing that black smoke again, so I figured it was time. :)   That done, I've treated myself to a dinner smoothie, and I'm about to go rinse off (I'm ITCHY!) and hit the hay for some book time.  Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett, in case you're wondering...

Saturday, July 24, 2004

Freedom!

So my friend Sophie is supposed to be in town this weekend, but there was a slight snafu with her car and her mechanic.  Neither is in a hurry to get her on the road again.  If she gets it back by noon today, she'll still make the jaunt, but it's not looking hopeful.

The upside of any of this is that I told Russell he could play WoW all day today--thinking I'd be hangin' with Sophie.  Suddenly I have a life again!  I got up with the pups around 6:30 (Bucket was starving to death), but managed to lay back down for 45 minutes or so.  Well then, of course, they needed to go outside, so I let them out and fixed myself a bowl of cereal.  Can't eat without colourful moving pictures in front of me, so I turned on the telly.  At 7:30 on a Saturday there is very little on, so I ended up with Xena, in hopes of seeing some Bruce Campbell.  So far no BC, but there is some bizaare musical version of Xena happening right now.  Xena is crucified, and Gabrielle is on a sacrificial altar of some sort...and they are SINGING!  It's soooooo bad!  Anything for a glimpse of Brucie. *sigh*
I did take a break from the madness around 8 and took the pups for a long walk around the 'hood.  It rained last night, so I don't really want to turn them loose in the yard--figured I owed them at least a long walk.  Rain still looms, but so far it's just grey and lazy out today.  Just as well.  I have a list of 15 things (mol) to do today.  So far I've done two.  I'd better get moving.

Thursday, July 22, 2004

Penny Arcade!

One of the greatest compliments I've ever received was when Russell told me that I write like Tycho of Penny Arcade!. He reads the strip (go to Latest Comic, or Archive) regularly, but I never got involved until he told me about the WoW Beta Test contest they were hosting. I didn't win the contest, but I have become a regular and avid reader of--at least--Tycho's rants. I enjoy the art of the strip, but I can't really say that I fully appreciate it otherwise. Perhaps I just need to get more involved, like I am with Sluggy Freelance. To say that I write like Tycho is, I think, a great thing. He's smart, a bit pompous, quite funny, and--like me--keeps his dictionary a little too close to hand.

Now, if only I had something to say!

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

today

Is only wednesday.  This font looks weird.  Blogger is always changing things around!  Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but I just never know what to expect when I log in.  Being a Taurus, this is somewhat traumatic for me.

At any rate, I would normally have just come in from walking the dogs at this time, but we've been playing in the back yard because our realtor came over yesterday and hid the Haltis!  She didn't really hide them, but she took them off the leashes and stashed them on the shelf on the back porch (I couldn't get away from a meeting yesterday, so she came over and walked the dogs during a showing--I guess she couldn't figure out how to put the Haltis on, so she dumped them).  I was just a little peeved to have gotten up early for a walk to find that it would not be happening.  Yes, they are a crutch, but I am not ashamed to admit my handicap at walking to PitBull mixes without them.  One at a time, maybe--definitely not together.  I placed an angry call at 6:20 and then found them at 6:25 (but I had been looking since 10 after!)...but by then it was pretty pointless to go.  We got out the basketball and played in the yard for a bit, and I unhomed some spiders and picked up poop and looked for the missing Kong.  I'm beginning to wonder if one of them just ATE it.  It's time for new ones anyway--the old ones are beginning to crumble.

So yeah.  There was another showing yesterday, although once again I've heard nothing more about it.  Monica said another fellow contacted her about the house and is supposed to call back for a showing...  That's it really.  She thought about having another Open House this weekend, but since we just had one weekend before last, I don't know... Seems a bit desperate!  My friend Sophie is (I think) coming into town this weekend, and I would rather not have to sweat keeping the house particularly nice while she's here.  Then again, I don't want to miss the opportunity to show the house to potential buyers. *sigh* What to do? What to do?

I read a good book last weekend at the races:  "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime"  It's about a mildly autistic child who sets about solving the murder of a neighbour's dog.  I won't tell you more than that in case you decide to pick it up, except that I found it very entertaining.  A bit funny, quite depressing, super intelligent, and ultimately worthy of being loaned out or at least recommended to friends.  Shannon, you especially would enjoy it, I think, having worked at CLO like me.  Understanding the protagonist just a little bit more than most readers, I think you and I are set up for a better appreciation of the story.  Anyway.  I read it in a day.  Back into Terry Pratchett now, and I wonder how I put him away for so long!

I'm going to run and get ready for work--think I'll take Bucket to daycare today! It's been TOO long! :)

Monday, July 19, 2004


Proof that my dad does smile from time to time! He'd been given special recognition at the boat race this weekend after nailing a bouy and then carrying it through the end of the race. For all I know, he packed it up and took it home with him! Posted by Hello

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Ack!

I am Bill the Cat, with a giant furball in my throat. My allergies, I suppose. I've just had a nasty sore throat and all the gook that comes with it for about 2 days now. Not sleeping well/generally feel like crap.

But on the up side, Bucket is becoming a man! When we went for a walk the other night, I actually saw him lift his leg to pee on TWO different occasions. :) Seems an odd thing to get excited about, but there you have it. He's peed like a little girl up to know and it was big news to see the leg lift thing. Of course along with that goes his newly acquired desire to stop every 10 paces to mark, but such is the life of a boy dog.

We've had a couple more people in to see the house this week, and there are folks coming over this morning at 11:45, so that's good. No offers yet from ANY of the multitude that have been through, so that's bad. I don't know what the hell the problem is, but it looks like the price might be coming down if we don't get anything.

I'm going to Ponca City, Oklahoma this weekend to visit my folks/watch my dad boat race. The pups will be boarded--again--which I feel crappy about, but I can't handle both of them on a trip like that by myself (and the hotel doesn't accept pets anyway). I'll just make sure the house is nice and clean so that if we have any lookers on Saturday I can feel good about letting them come on over. This cleaning is all a bit tedious and I cannot wait for the time when I can go back to being a slob. Ah, the good old days.

Well, I still have poop to pick up, Kiki's cage to clean, breakfast to eat, and my body to dress and make-up, so I'll scoot. Have a good weekend; I'll try to blog more on Sunday.

Monday, July 12, 2004

Overwhelmed

I'm home from work, and yes, it's 9am. Just feeling a little out of control right now--needed to get myself together. Here's the story.

I went in like on any other day, and like every other day I go in, I'm almost immediately bombarded by people asking about the house. "Any luck on the house?" "Any nibbles?" "How'd the open house go?" "What's the problem? Why isn't it selling?"

HELL IF I KNOW!!

It was just a bit much to take today. It bothers me everytime, and I do believe I've mentioned this to several people but they just keep inquiring. I know the intentions are good, but no one really seems to understand that every question asked is equivalent to someone saying "So, your house hasn't sold yet? You're stuck here another month or more in limbo without Russell!" I'm perfectly capable of living in denial, or at least setting those thoughts aside while working, but when I'm perpetually reminded of the situation thusly it's difficult to do. After the third person in a row asked (and actually uttered the final set of questions above--i.e. "What's the problem...") I just sort of lost it. I thought I could take a walk and sort of shake it off, but when I got back to the computer I couldn't think of anything else but what the hell to do about the house. I'm still arguing back tears as I write. I'm just SO ready for this to all be over. Don't want to ever buy a house again. Just want to live in someone else's house so they can worry about the maintenence and having to sell it and pay taxes and all the other house bullshit. American Dream my eye! American Nightmare!

Anyway. I just needed to vent a bit. Still not ready to go back to work, although I probably should make a concerted effort to compose myself. Loads more training to do with my replacement. If, in fact, I ever get to leave.

Sunday, July 11, 2004

Another Open House

Today is the 11th of July, and the house has been on the market just over a month. I know that relatively speaking that's not really all that long, but when you hear tales of houses selling in a week or less, it gets a bit discouraging. St.Joseph has been in the ground almost 2 weeks? Or is it one week? It's all a blur. At any rate, we have had more people in to see the house since his interment, but no offers. One couple apparently really loved the place but The Smell concerned them. Replace the freakin'carpet, people!! It's not that big a deal. It needs to be replaced anyway! So today's Open House is in about an hour. Monica couldn't be here, but she is sending someone from her office to sit. I suppose I'll hang around until he shows up--just to be sure. I think I'm going to try to go catch King Arthur at the theatre while strangers creep around my house and pass judgement. Hopefully that will keep my mind off things.

The bottom line is that I REALLY want someone to fall in love with this house the way we did and make an offer. I need to get to Phoenix and be with Russell and carry on with my life. This limbo shit is for the birds!

Keep your fingers crossed for us today.

Saturday, July 10, 2004


Went to my friend Jinger's (on the right) house last night for a Surprise Birthday Party for her "hubby-in-training" Vide. (Say it VeeDay) That's Marilyn on the left--another riding buddy. They are some of the coolest people I've met. Gonna miss them...If I ever sell the house and get to move!! Posted by Hello

Sunday, July 04, 2004

Independence Day

And all I really want is to be with my honey! How ironic is that?

The pups got me up some time ago, and I've been sitting on the back porch enjoying the morning. It is so nice to live someplace where we only have neighbours on either side--when looking out from the porch it feels almost as though we live in the country. I can hear birds and insects, and not much else--no cars or noisy kids or folks clunking around in their garages. At night, I can see stars. Lots and lots of stars. I love our porch and yard, and I especially love the Sky Chairs. I should spend more time out there!

I got to looking at a couple spiderwebs while I was out there, and I have to say that I never cease to be amazed at their beauty. And what feats of engineering! Sometimes I'm lucky enough to actually catch a spider in the act of spinning and it's a mesmerizing thing. We humans think we're so tecnologically advanced, but look at the spider web! Finer than human hair, some amazing strength rating (I forget exactly, but I think for its size that it's stronger than steel or something), AND it's beautiful. Oh, and it comes from spider butt. :) Yeah, we've got a long way to go to catch up with the lowly spider. I'm leaving the webs up today, because I think it very unlikely that anyone will be coming to see the house.

I was going to chat a bit about something else, but for the life of me I don't know what. I can always come back to it later, I suppose. Happy Fourth!

Saturday, July 03, 2004

Mea Culpa and a Strange Tale

Wow, I hadn't realised that it has been so long since I posted. I've been training my replacement at work, so I don't get the down time I used to be able to--no blogging in stolen moments any more.

At any rate, here's the week in drive-by fashion:

1) Had "guests" in at work, so everyone had their shorts in a knot. It was stressful, to say the least.
2) St. Joseph arrived Monday afternoon, and after getting proper instructions, I buried him Tuesday at Lunch (the Strange Tale goes with this...so keep that in mind)
3) Had some folks come look at the house on Thursday evening, and they were actually here for almost 1/2 hour! Monica says they were looking at more homes on Friday and would then make a decision, but I haven't heard anything yet.
4) We got to go home 2 hours early yesterday! Hooray for working for a cool place like that.

Okay, here's the Strange Tale: I just took the dogs out for a walk this morning, and we went out the gate to the back yard... Right in front of the fence next to this gate is where I had buried St. Joseph. I had put a little rock on the spot so I'd remember where he is when I have to dig him up again. Well, upon exiting the gate, I glanced down and see a HOLE! The rock has been moved, and there is a long, skinny hole there. Looks almost like a snakehole... I freaked out just a little at this point thinking that St. Joseph has been looted and that we'll never sell the house (and besides, what would I tell Scott??)!! But because life is not a horror movie, I stuck my finger down in there and felt that he was indeed still there. Whew. Maybe, with all the rain, the hole just collapsed in. Not sure about the rock moving, tho... Anyway. I refilled the hole, placed the rock back on top, and will keep you posted with any developments!

I'm off to the bank and the post office, and if the rain holds off, I might do some painting. I borrowed an extension ladder from a lady at work, so I'm going to paint the garage trim that has been driving me MAD all this time. I've got three days--how much will you wager that I put it off until Monday evening? lol

I'll try to do better, I really will.