Busy Busy Rental

My phone keeps ringing and I'm hoping that I will have a finalized new tenant by the end of the holiday weekend. I may have to wait to do some reference checks until Tuesday due to the holiday.

I really think I may have found someone I like. I just hope things work out with his application!!! Keep fingers and paws crossed for us.

Delta Blue...

It's been two years this week since Delta Blue passed away. I've been thinking of him this week and wanted to post this picture because it always makes me smile. He was such a happy little lab mutt!

He was my roommate's dog and I lived with him for about a year. He regularly slept in my bed and was definitely loved like one of my own. His owner didn't do the things for him that I felt he deserved but he didn't care one bit! He was always happy as could be and I loved him for it. I tried to make life easier for him whenever I got the chance.

Shortly after we moved out; Delta was with a pet sitter who left him out in the yard. Somehow he and another dog got out. The other dog stayed on the property but Delta went wandering. I found him a few days later on the DOA list at the shelter. He had been hit by a car and was hopefully killed instantly. The pet sitter hadn't wanted to admit that the dog was lost so she waited three days to call my roomie who was out of town at a funeral.

Delta's death was tragic for me and the first time I ever grieved the loss of a pet. He was not even two yet and I was so devastated to see his young life ended.

This pic is of him and Dylan when they first met. He was just an 8 week old pup. Dylan was much nicer with other dogs back then. I just adore his cute little face! Marley and he were instant buddies. I'm sure she will be happy to see him again when she joins him at the bridge. We're hoping that won't be for several years yet though!!

What are people thinking?

My rental house is going vacant. I have advertisements up for renters. My phone is ringing off the hook during the day which is great! It's always good to get lots of calls. I often have to show the house to at least 75 people before I find a good renter. Usually, half of people that call or email say they are going to come see it and half of those people actually show up. So it takes a lot of talking on the phone and emailing to actually find someone that I want to live in my rental.

Last night at 4:25 AM my phone rang. Startled out of my sleep, I managed to reach for the phone and answer it. A man asked if it was me and when I confirmed, he stated that he called because he was interested in the rental? Seriously? I asked him if he realized it was 4:30 AM? He said yes but he works graveyards? I responded that just because he is awake it doesn't mean that I am. He offered to call back and I told him after 7 AM would be fine. He never called back this morning and I don't blame him at all. I wouldn't have rented to someone who called me at 4:30 AM anyway!!!

I just don't understand how people really think that it's okay to call someone you don't know in the middle of the night to ask about a rental property? My brain started racing and of course I never really got back to my restful sleep. I got up dragging my feet this morning after hitting the snooze button for an hour.

I wish the guy's number had shown up on the caller ID. I'm inclined to call him this afternoon and ask him about renting. Just to wake him up out of spite. Unfortunately, his number was blocked on the caller ID! If he does call back, he'll likely hear an earful from me!!

WW - Sleepy Dylan

Took this with my phone this morning when I was getting ready for work. Dylan doesn't like to get up in the morning. I have to force him out of bed to go potty before I go to work.

This boy loves to SLEEP! He thinks he owns the bed and will sleep all day and night if you let him. When you have him out and about he's a maniac so you wouldn't expect him to be so lazy around the house! He's my cuddle bug and always keeps me warm at night. Marley watches over the house while I sleep. I truly believe she never really sleeps during the night because I wake up and she's up and sometimes she licks the couch all night and gets it all wet. Sometimes I wake up and she is watching me sleep.

Guess that wasn't so wordless.

Marley's recovery!

Marley is still recovering from the dog bites in May. She's been doing well but had an allergic reaction to the sutures. She's limping a bit but that's normal for her. She's never really walked completely straight.

She's now developing some new little seroma's in the main incision from the first surgery. The incision is all lumpy. My vet said they may open up on the skin level and we may have to cut them out. Poor little girl has already been through so much.

We are hot packing the incision for now to see if the lumps go down. I forgot to do it until today but she was a good girl to lay on the warm rice bag for me. I took this pic to show what a patient girl she is. Of course I was right there with her to give her some cheese for saying cheese!! She still has her therapy bandana on but our visit tonight was cancelled (even though we got dressed and showed up - the rec therapist apparently did not).

She's had vitamin b12 shots in her incision to break up the scar tissue. As well as another chiropractic treatment and acupuncture session last week.

I'm just so grateful this little girl survived this whole mess. I can't imagine life without her! Her darling little face lights up my life in ways I never knew possible. We'll continue to do whatever necessary to help her heal from these terrible injuries. She's just too precious of a princess not too.

Did I mention before I never understood how some people NEVER go to the vet? I am not keeping an exact count and I have been in a vets office at least 18 times this year (that I can count). I only have two dogs now!! That doesn't include the stops in to buy all her dietary supplements either!

Lagoon Day!

I went to lagoon last weekend for the first time in more than 10 years. I can't beleive I am getting so old (turning 30 in 4 months!).

We had a good time with my sister and some people from my work and got wet more than once!!

This is London and Jordan. My sister was there with her friends and their cute kids so we hung out with them for a while. London and I went on the Hydro Luge in the blue tube because you can see and it's for girls. Jordan and Paul rode the black tube because they are tough boys!

Overall it was a great day! Lots of waiting in lines! Free barbeque provided by my work! And discounted tickets too!

Too busy!

Life has been crazy busy so I have to apologize for not keeping up on blogs! I have been so busy at work and my rental house is going vacant and the phone is ringing off the hook. Hope to get caught up on stuff one of these days.

D&M are good as always though. Miss Marley didn't love her bath last night but she will really enjoy her therapy visit tonight!! Guess it's all worth it!

Taking it off together tuesday!

I totally lost focus and have no one to blame but myself. I could use my sore neck as an excuse for lack of exercise but there's no excuse for the crap I ate last week. Things are already back on track this week and much much better. 2 lb gain sucks!! Making a goal not to eat any fast food until the end of September!!!


Chris - 2 GAIN
Tammy - 1 LOSS
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 0 CHANGE
Grace - no report yet
Leigh - 3.5 GAIN
Clara - 4 LOSS
Dette - 2 GAIN
Julie - 0.2 LOSS
Cheryl - 0 CHANGE
Audrey - 2 LOSS
Christy - 2 GAIN
Tina - no report yet
Danielle - 0 CHANGE
Jessie - 0 CHANGE

This week's total - 2.3 GAIN!

Still a stiff neck

I have lots to write about dogs but I have been avoiding the computer.

My neck is still stiff. I got a massage yesterday at the massage school but it was not the best. Beggars can't be choosers though right? It helped a little but my neck is still dang stiff.

I'm just happy that it's not cramping all up like it was Thursday. Flyball wasn't easy and my trip to Lagoon was limited but I am a chicken anyway so it was okay to have an excuse.

My dogs have been a bit neglected but Paul is always good to help out. He's watching them today while I work my long day.

I've been taking some Arnica and Hypernicum as recommended by my vet. Yes that's right my vet! I have also taken a minimal amount of muscle relaxers to help a bit with the stiffness. Stretching, stretching, stretching and hope that things go back to normal soon.

Pain in the neck part 2~

I went to the chiropractor yesterday after sitting at work for an hour. Things with my stupid neck got worse and worse as time went by. The chiropractor didn't help much either. He did adjust my neck and tried to do a bit of massage but I couldn't tolerate it.

I went home and lied down on my couch and stayed as still as possible. Luckily, I was able to get into my doctor yesterday. He shot me full of drugs and gave me some muscle relaxers and pain pills. At least that stopped the excruciating pain of the spasms. I can move again but still have a very stiff and sore neck. I feel like I am sitting with my head tilted but I am not really sure.

A short day at work today and I am so glad. A full day of work would probably have been more than I could tolerate. We took Marley in to the homeopathic vet today who also recommended some remedies for my neck problem. I'm using those now to see if they can help as well.

I have some coupons for free massages at the massage school. I intend to use one this weekend to see if I can loosen up that neck some more. My entire left side is so tight I don't have my full range of motion there.

My dogs are lucky to have Paul to play with them the last few days. I've not been the most entertaining person for them to be around. Hopefully things will get better the next few days and I can go out to play again soon.

Pain in the neck!

Literally!! I woke up unable to turn my head left and I can't sit up straight. I'm not sure how I was able to drive to work but dang was it painful. At all the lights where I turned right, I just waited for them to turn green before going. I couldn't look to see if it was safe!

I was fine when I went to bed but man is my neck messed up now!!! I wish it were massage day here at work (they have a massage therapist that comes in a couple times a month!). I will probably have to call my chiropractor and see if they can get me in today. I don't know what else to do!!

It's gonna be a long day of sitting at the computer.

WW Lydia and Kade

I love this shot of my cousin's daughter and her dog!!

Taking it off together Tuesday.

I didn't have a great week emotionally which resulted in not a great week of sticking to eating healthy. I still pulled off a loss of 1.2 lbs though so I guess that is okay. I really want to get stuff back together this week to eat healthier.


Chris - 1 GAIN
Tammy - 0 CHANGE
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 1 GAIN
Grace - 0 CHANGE
Leigh - 0.5 GAIN
Clara - 1.5 LOSS
Dette - 0 CHANGE
Julie - 0.2 LOSS
Cheryl - 2 GAIN
Audrey - 1 GAIN
Christy - 1.2 LOSS
Tina - no report?
Danielle - 1 LOSS

Please help us welcome Jessie to the group with an inital report of 0 change!

This week's total - 1.6 GAIN!

Blogging Friends Forever!

Our friends at It's the Dog Life nominated us for the Blogging Friends Forever Gold Card! We feel honored! Thanks!

I know I am supposed to be nominating some people to carry the award on. I am super busy and haven't even posted the awards we got from last week. I hopefully will be able to pull stuff together and get things up to date here! Work is crazy though and will be for a while. Maybe if I can get my slow old PC moving, I can get some stuff done online.

Nietzsche's last day...

Nietzsche will be meeting Puck and Delta Blue at the bridge this afternoon. I know they will be waiting there to greet him.

The veterinarians made the determination late yesterday that it's definitely cancer. There are no treatment options and with a dog that is unable to walk, there's also not much hope for a decent quality of life. Nietzsche spent last night at home with his family and is getting to eat some special treats of cheese and eggs and steak and whatever he wants.

His family searched the neighborhood to find a wagon that they could borrow. They got to take him out on a good walk last night. I am sure he enjoyed being able to get out and breathe some fresh air after being in the hospital the last several days.

A veterinarian will be visiting this afternoon to free Nietschze from this life and help him transition to the Rainbow Bridge. Run Free Nietschze. We will be seeing you again one day! Until then, keep my Monster Puck and Delta Blue company. I am sure you three will have fun playing together!

There may be hope after all....

Good news came from Colorado yesterday. The Vet staff that is taking care of Nietzsche thinks there is a possibility that an auto immune disease could be causing his issues. They are running more and more tests. More results will come back tomorrow. An auto immune disease may have some treatment options so they want to rule it out before they decide that it is time to put him down.

He's supposed to be coming home today as well. I think it will be good for him and his family to be able to spend some time together today.

Still keeping our fingers crossed...We know however that this may be Nietzsche's time. We hope that the veterinarians will help our friends make the best decision for him once they determine a more definite diagnosis.

My favorite Pitty Cakes!

Miss Maddie is my favorite pit bull! She's a beautiful brindle with an awesome guardian. I got to spend some time with her this morning and am so happy I did. Here are some pics I took on my phone!

She is owned by R3K9S who often blogs about her pets and responsible pit bull ownership. She's an extremely responsible pit bull owner and also has two of our most favorite black lab friends!

Now who could really think a beautiful girl like this should be banned? Really?? Are they afraid she is gonna give them big slobbery kisses????

UUATA Summer Picnic

We had a great picnic at Wheeler Farm last night. We got to walk and see all the animals and on the trails behind the farm. The dogs really enjoyed it but Marley was sure scared of the sheep. She's obviously not your average border collie! LOL. They wanted to sniff her through the fence but she would go sniff them and then back off. I should have taken more pics but I took just a few when we were sitting around on the grass!

Dylan did not get to go because there were too many dogs. They were all on leashes but for some reason therapy dog people forget that it's common courtesy to ask before letting your dog approach another one. I had to ask multiple people to keep their dogs away from Marley. I used her recent injuries as an excuse but mostly I'm just worried that dumb people will misinterpret her vocalizations as aggression. She was a bit stressed out though with all the other dogs so it was only half a lie.

Marley was a stinker and took a bit out of my hamburger while I was sitting on the ground eating it. I guess all that nasty ground beef got the best of her. Gotta admit it was a bit funny. I turned my head from that burger in my hand for one split second and she grabbed a piece as fast as she could thinking I may not notice. LOL.

We were happy that Paul and Leon were able to join us for a few before Paul had to head out for work. It was nice to spend a little bit of time with them.

I was really sad when one of the women hit her therapy dog last night. She smacked him hard enough that I heard it from 75 feet away. I couldn't believe that she did that. It is really unfortunate that someone involved with a group that's all about promoting the gentle kindness of animals feels that it's necessary to be so hurtful to her own dog. I think she was trying to get him to sit but I was far enough away that I can't be sure. Leash popping isn't even supposed to be allowed in testing so I am not sure why no one said anything about it. I guess I can't really talk because I didn't say anything either. I just stood there feeling very bad for her dog. If she does that in public, can you imagine what she does in the privacy of her own home?

Overall it was a good picnic though. I just have to block the thought of that person hitting their dog. Most the therapy animal people are really wonderful and focused on what services their animals can provide to others. I really have lots of respect for them since so many volunteer so much more time than I do!!

That Cute Curly Haired Kid!

I try to keep this blog to mostly dog stuff so I don't write much about my family. I'm pretty close with my parents and I can't help but adore my curly haired nephew, Ammon.

I took this pic on my new phone last night. We were at a family wedding and Ammon was making faces at me! He's a funny kid with lots of personality. He and my sister live with my parents so I see him pretty frequently when I go out there to visit.

Those big blue eyes and curly blond hair are so dang cute! I can't believe how much having a little one around has changed the dynamics in my family. It seems all my four sisters and mother adore him and my Dad finally got a boy to play with (he had five daughters and no sons of his own)! He loves his Grandpa so very much and his uncle is one of his favorite playmates!

I'm the special visitor with the big dogs that he will hopefully learn to love! Right now, they are still a bit intimidating. Dylan is also a bit intimidated being around a toddler but we monitor them closely and I think it's good exposure for him to get some pets and attention from Ammon on occasion. I have to be very careful that Dylan doesn't get cornered or approached in a way he deems threatening though. He's never bit a human but I don't dare take any chances! Marley's a precious girl for him just as she is with everyone else. She loves cleaning up after he eats since there is always lots of yummy food on the floor! She also likes to lick his face since there may be leftover food there too! I try to be careful to watch her as well. Ammon isn't pulling hair like he did when he was young but he's attempted to tug on an ear or a tail on occasion! Kids just need to be monitored around dogs!!

Bad News about Nietzsche

I finally got some news about Nietzsche. Unfortunately, it's not good news.

An MRI, CT Scan, and other tests have shown that Nietzsche's spine is completely messed up. It's likely cancer since they don't know what else caused it. As is, he is unable to stand and will likely have to be put down tomorrow. There isn't much that they think they can do for him at this time.

I'm very sad for our friends. Nietzsche was one of the first few dogs I bonded with before Dylan came along and changed my life. I remember days of him running in the desert on several wonderful camping trips! I remember Dylan tormenting him as a puppy, and wishing so badly that my wild puppy would behave more like Nietzsche who was almost always calm and collected.

I know he will be missed greatly and my friend has grown so close with him over the past twelve years that his sudden illness is difficult to understand and accept. Nietzsche has been a wonderful friend and companion for him and will live in all our hearts for years to come.

I'll be waiting on more news tomorrow and still hoping for a miracle!

Lamb Chops! Yum!

I'm not a fan of lamb chops but my dogs are!! They had a special Birthday and Gotcha day dinner! Leon got some too since he is here for the night.

I love raw feeding almost as much as my dogs love it. I know it's so healthy for my dogs and they do great on it! It's not often they get Raw Organic Lamb Chops but today is a special day and deserving of a special treat! Plus they were on sale (but still pretty dang expensive!)

Marley actually chews her food like a lady when she eats Raw! Well maybe not so ladylike but at least she doesn't inhale it as if she were a vacuum. When she eats kibble her entire meal is gone in about 3 seconds. She still gets a good high quality kibble for her breakfast meal. I try to do raw most nights but it works out nicely to have kibble on hand in case I forget to defrost some raw food for dinner!

Dylan already thinks he is king of the world! You should see his proud face when he tears into the raw flesh of an animal! I really like feeding whole chickens because Dylan seems to get such satisfaction out of tearing the meat off the bone! We are off Chicken for summer but when winter comes, I am sure there will be plenty of whole chickens around this place!

Leon is our special guest tonight since his Daddy is working graveyards. We have been enjoying having him over sometimes to stay the night. He sleeps by my bed and keeps me safe. :) He wasn't quite sure what to think of lamb chops. He's a lot pickier than my two food hogs! He's also a bit newer to raw feeding but once he started chomping he didn't stop until he was finished!

All in all, it was a successful raw fed meal. Glad to know all the dogs like their lamb chops. I also got them some pork back rib bones. I think I will save them for another day!!

Happy Birthday Dylan!!!

It's Dylan's made up Birthday today! He was 10 weeks old when I got him but the rescue group didn't know his date of birth so I made one up 10 weeks from the day I adopted him.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I brought this little bundle of trouble home. He was literally an early Christmas gift from a friend of mine at the time. He was the cutest little puppy I had ever seen. I remember sitting down on the floor next to his kennel while I waited for the rescue group to finish unloading dogs and find a leash so that I could get him out to visit.

I had wanted to adopt a pug but was torn on the idea of a bigger dog because I wanted a dog that could camp with me. I dragged a couple of my friends an hour away at 8 AM the day after a late night Halloween party to go look at the only pug that had been listed on Petfinder in weeks. We got there 5 minutes too late!

On the way home we decided to stop at another adoption event where I ended up finding the dog that would soon become the single biggest impact on my life to date. From that day forward, life was different!

I've learned so much in the past 5 years. I can't believe my baby boy is 5!! He's taught me so much about life and love and all things dog! He's been a challenge but I never questioned whether or not I made the right choice in adopting him. He was meant to be my boy and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Sometimes I don't give this little boy enough credit. He's got his quirks but he is a very good dog! Lately, he has been exceptionally good with his recall off leash and I thank him so much for it. It makes life easier for me and more fun for him because I feel more comfortable letting him off leash in more areas.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy! We'll be celebrating his day tonight and Marley's Gotcha day. Paul took him out walking this morning and I will make sure he gets some Frisbee time this evening since it's his absolute favorite!!

I got him a special present but I haven't received it yet. He's hated his gentle leader for over 2 years now. I finally invested in a comfort head collar. I hope it will be a bit more comfortable for him! I borrowed one a while back and it seems so much softer and he's able to have enough space to open his mouth and pick up a ball so we can play when he is wearing it!!

Happy Gotcha Day!

I almost spaced Miss Marley's gotcha day! I'm so self involved this week and had planned on giving her a celebration of sorts. Maybe just some extra play time and a super yummy dinner or something. Between work, my plumbing, and a wedding yesterday, I didn't get around to it.

We will celebrate tonight though! Miss Marley was Dylan's first birthday gift. Turns out she was a gift for me too. I remember feeling like I would never be able to love her as much as I loved and bonded with Dylan. Boy was I wrong!! She's my baby girl and I love her so very much. So girly, in a dirty dog kind of way and I love her little prance around like she owns the world! She's always there for me when I am down and is the first to lick away my tears.

I'm so grateful to have this little princess in my life. Her medical issues have taught me a lot of patience and understanding. I'm happy to be able to share her with others when she works as a therapy dog! I can't stand traveling without her despite the fact that she is unable to compete in any dog sports! I just miss this little one too much if I leave her home!

I hope this little girl has a happy day today! We will have to celebrate tonight since I was too busy yesterday! She's spending the day with Paul and is up hiking at Millcreek right now. I wish I could be there with her but I need to work to pay her bills! LOL At least she's out having a good time!!

Good Thoughts for Nietzsche!

Nietzsche is a long time dog friend of ours. His owner is my good friend. I have known Nietzsche since before I got my boy Dylan. He was one of the first dogs that Dylan met when I brought him home.

He's now a spry young 12 year old dog. Still full of life and energy! He's been in Northern Cali for two years but recently moved to Boulder, Colorado.

I got a message earlier that he's believed to have a neurological injury. He tripped last weekend camping and had a slight limp the last few days. Now he seems to have lost balance and control of his urinary and bowel movements. A veterinarian today wasn't sure what was causing the issue but said it could have been a stroke or some kind of neurological problem.

Luckily, Colorado State University is close by and they have some Veterinary Neurologists there. So Nietzsche has been transferred and was having a CT scan and whatever else he may need. I haven't got an update in a few hours now but last I heard they were waiting on test results.

I am sure it's nice to a veterinary school close by! I don't know if we have one here in Utah but in cases like this it would sure be nice to have a team of specialists. I know some people think that 12 is old for a dog but so many dogs I know are still full of life at that age.

Keep sending good thoughts to our good black lab friend! We're worried and want him to be able to recover.

WW Marley the therapy dog.

This isn't a great pic. It's a little blurry. I took when we were in the waiting room last night at the place we visit. I need to take my real camera next week because the rec therapist wants me to give her some pictures of Marley. I thought it would be nice to take a picture of the three of us (rec therapist, Marley, and myself) and then print it for her.

Taking it off together Tuesday!!

This is my fifth week with the group. I haven't had a soda in over 4 weeks now. And I have lost now 21.2 lbs.

I did get a new scale this week so the 7.2 lbs lost may actually be 5 or 6. Since scales do vary a bit from one to the next. This new scale will be mine to weigh in on each week though so it should be consistent going forward. I really hated walking to the gym here each week to weigh in. Especially since I haven't actually been using the gym to actually exercise.

I didn't eat great last week but I think I'm just paying more attention to calories and cutting out soda has helped me a lot. I want to eat lots better this week. It will hopefully be a bit easier since I will be at my house instead of Paul's. I moved half of my refrigerator contents over there when I went to dog sit but I still haven't eaten as well as I do at my own house. A lot of that was just because I was so busy and getting home so late in the evening though.

I did get out walking several times in the past week. I am feeling better and a bit more energetic already. Hopefully that will just get better and better. I only wish that there was some way to heal my lungs. I know they can be stronger but they will never be as good as most people's. Having asthma is a challenge I've dealt with for 20 years though so I should be used to it already.

Here are the reports for this week.

Chris - no report
Tammy - 1 LOSS
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - no report
Grace - 1.4 LOSS
Leigh - 5.5 LOSS
Clara - 2 LOSS
Dette - 1 GAIN
Julie - 0 CHANGE
Cheryl - 4 LOSS
Cyn Blue - no report
Audrey - 0.6 LOSS
Christy - 7.2 LOSS
Tina - 0.5 GAIN

Please welcome Danielle to the group with her starting result of 0 Change!

This week's total - 20.2 LOSS!

I need to keep watching calories and trying to eat healthier. Funny thing is, I really like fresh and healthy food better than greasy crap food. It's just that it's a lot more work to prepare something healthy and I am lazy and a crappy cook. This week I cooked some chicken breasts until they were black as charcoal. Yesterday I way undercooked steamed carrots but I ate them for dinner last night and will have them for lunch again today. I so LOVE healthy food that is well prepared. I wish I was capable of making it myself but it seems I always screw something up.

Leaky Plumbing!!!

It never fails that as soon as I spend money on myself, something goes wrong to make me feel like I did something I shouldn't have. As I was walking out of the AT&T store the other night with my new phone, I got a call from my tenant. He found a big crack in a pipe in the basement that was leaking. GREAT!

Turns out a big crack was a bit of an understatement. The crack is over 3 feet long and runs through a whole length of drain pipe. It's definitely not a great thing. I duct taped it for now and that seems to be working. I have a home warranty that will luckily cover it. I almost cancelled it a few months back and now I am so glad I didn't. The plumbers will be out today to see what needs to be done to fix it!

My next flyball dog!

I took Leon to Flyball last night. Since I am dog sitting, I wanted to take him out as much as I could. He got to play with some of the dogs before practice. Then I gave him a shot at flyball. It wasn't long before he was flying down the lane of jumps to play with his toy. He's such a good boy and really seemed to like it. When the team was running, he was barking and wanted to come play.

So I talked with Paul and I am gonna give the big boy a shot! I'll bring him to flyball for a while and see how he does. It'd be fun to have two dogs running again even if one of the dogs is a loaner!

Hopefully that good big boy picks it up well. He sure was driving last night but I am not sure how he will do once he has a ball in his mouth!! Guess only time will tell! He sure is a fast boy when he wants to be!!

I took this pick with my new blackjack phone. We went to Tanner Park again yesterday. The dogs sure love it! Paul will be home this evening. Leon will definitely be ecstatic to see him tonight and so will I!! We miss him lots when he is away.

Dog sitting a curly coat!

Dog sitting one curly coat turns into a lot of work. This is Leon; my boyfriends spoiled dog. I love this big boy so I don't mind the work!! We went walking at tanner park last night. For those of you not in SLC, Tanner is an 88 acre nature reserve that is legally off leash! There's a creek that runs through there and the dogs love to swim and play in the water! It's a great spot for most dogs to walk! Dylan doesn't get so lucky as to go there though because there are way too many dogs.

Last night I went with two friends and 6 dogs! It was a lot of fun. Marley played chase games with her friend Chase and her new friend Trip! Leon stuck right by my side most the way!!

I took these pics on my new PDA Phone!!! Not bad image quality for a camera phone!! This is my friend Ross! We always have a great time together!!

Two walks a day will be good for me! I just can't handle all three dogs off leash! It's way too much to manage!! So I have to split them up into two walks! Oh well, I need the exercise anyway! I just wish there was more time in the day for me to be walking!!

I splurged!

I finally got a new phone!! I ended up with a samsung blackjack. It wasn't at all what I was looking for but the sales guy talked me into it. The number pad locks automatically (supposedly but I haven't seen it do that yet).

It's a nice little Smart phone. A BlackJack II by Samsung. I also have access to my email, internet, and a semi decent camera. I have enough memory to store a bunch of pictures and a data cable to transfer them to my computer when I need to.

I finally joined the world of Blue Tooth too! It's about damn time! I talk way too much while driving so I really should be on a headset!

It's been kind of a pain though. I signed a new contract but I guess it will be worth it. They didn't have the right color in stock so I had to go to two different stores. There's some issue with my Internet access that are still unresolved and last night the guy was trying to fix it and accidentally deleted my entire address book. OMG!!! That's at least 200 phone numbers! I was panicking but he got them on my old SIM card. So for now, I can't tell who is calling and I have to look up phone numbers in my old phone and dial manually. Remember the days of memorizing numbers or writing them all down? Now I think it's a huge pain in the butt! They should be able to do an automatic download but now I have to go to a third AT&T store after work today! That's a lot of driving. I think they should have given me the blue tooth for free. I might bring it up with the guy that sold me the phone today!!!

RIP Dear Cell Phone

My poor crappy cell phone finally died this morning. It fell off the side the couch onto my linoleum entryway. When I picked it up the antenna was completely missing. I've been expecting this crappy phone to die one of these days. I'm not happy about it but I knew it was cheap and wouldn't last long.

So now is the time to invest in a new phone. I think I like the LG Shine or maybe the Nokia N75. I'd like something that closes over the number pad (because I hate having to remember to lock my phone!) and that has a decent screen and camera phone. Maybe a Sony Ericsson W580i. A lot of phones have Mp3 capabilities now. That's kind of nice. I will have to visit a AT&T store and see everything in person then check prices online and through eBay. I kind of like those phones with the keyboards for text messaging but they don't have many that are pop up for flip phones. This AT&T Tilt looks nice but it's not work 500$.

I've been debating about changing wireless service at the end of my contract. I love my roll over minutes with AT&T. It comes in especially handy when my rental goes vacant and I go 500 minutes over my plan. I am not sure what I will do but I new this was coming.

Why do dang phones have to be so expensive anyway?

Taking it off together Tuesday!

It's my fourth week with this blog group. I've been eating much healthier for sure! It's nice to have some group support. I lost 3 lbs this week! That's a total of 14 overall! Not too shabby.

This week I am going to be dog sitting for Leon. I will be walking and walking and walking with the dogs for sure so it will be good for me!


Here are the reports for this week.

Chris - 3 GAIN
Tammy - 0 CHANGE
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 1 LOSS
Grace - 0.4 LOSS
Leigh - 2.5 GAIN
Clara - 0 CHANGE
Dette - 0.5 LOSS
Julie - 1 LOSS
Cheryl - 0 CHANGE
Cyn Blue -0 CHANGE
Audrey - 5.2 LOSS
Christy - 3 LOSS
Tina - no report

This week's total - 5.6 LOSS!

We have a new friend...

This is Seki. He is our new Border Collie Buddy. My friend from Four Legged Scholars just adopted him a few weeks ago. She lost her 14 year old Border Collie to old age a few months back. She's excited to have a new dog to train and a new potential athlete.

Seki is doing very well for being a 1 year old dog without much training. I'm jealous of his recall (compared to Dylan he's a saint) and he's focused and responsive. He's been too excited in the car though but his new guardian is the perfect person to work with him to modify undesirable behaviors.

We have high hopes that he and Dylan will one day be friends. I thought today might be the day since Dylan was stalking him and wanting to play when he was on leash. Off leash, I just don't think they are quite ready. They were doing quite well but Dylan got grumpy over a treat I was giving him when Seki ran up from behind. One of these days they will get used to being around each other though. Dylan just requires a bit of time to get used to new dog friends.

Seki hopes to one day be a flyball dog and do some agility and herding and who knows what else. Oh and freestyle is on the list too. He should have a fun life in his new home with a professional clicker trainer. Unfortunately, the last few weeks have shown a potential problem in one of his back legs. A vet on friday said his patella is popping out of place but he may grow out of it because he is still young. He'll see a better vet Monday and we are hoping it's something minor because this dog would be a wonderful athlete if given the opportunity. Only time and a better vet will be able to tell if the problem is something that can easily be fixed (and hopefully without surgery). Good thing we have that new big Pet Center here that has rehab, Physical Therapy, and acupuncture and all that. Seki may just be a dog that needs it! We are crossing our fingers he doesn't though.

Princess in pink!

Marley took on the nickname princess a little over a year ago. I had a houseful of male animals and Marley was the only little girl. I started calling her princess despite her not so ladylike habits of rolling in stinky stuff and splashing in water and eating cat poop and rolling over on her back and spreading eagle. She's our princess and it's a nickname that's here to stay.

Yesterday I was working in a Petsmart store. They had these Princess tank tops on display. They weren't too expensive but they are actually made for cats. I wanted one so bad for her but I didn't know if they would fit. Over the course of my shift I debated and decided I must bring her back to try it on. The large one is a little short but I like it better than a tshirt that goes all the way down her back. My dogs don't have clothing but I have debated on getting Dylan a jacket for the winter. In general, D&M have no need for actual clothing. The princess tank is just something I couldn't pass up though.

I think this is the first thing that I have ever purchased that was pink! LMAO. I think she looks pretty in pink!

Dylan's fifteen minutes...continued.

The pics from the park record are online. I am so so so happy that they will let me order some prints. YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY.

Anyway, the pic they had in the paper can be seen at:


Newpaper Pic

The whole album can be seen at:

Bark in the Park Album

I cannot wait to get prints. There are a few really great shots of my boy! I will have to sit down and make a decision on what I want to order!!

Not sure what to do with a rawhide?

I'm sad to admit that Dylan and Marley can't seem to figure out what a rawhide is for. I haven't given them any in years because I hate not knowing if they are full of chemicals or what. I finally found some by Merrick a few weeks ago and bought my dogs each a few treats. I trust Merrick isn't adding a bunch of unnecessary chemicals to their treats.

I opened each dog a rawhide roll this morning. They have shown no interest in them whatsoever. This is highly unusual for my dogs who usually think all food items are the greatest thing ever! I think they don't realize that the rawhides can be chewed on? Wonder what they will do with the Merrick brand pigs ears when I get them out?

My dogs are not deprived of chewing. They get raw bones and raw meat pretty regularly. I also occasionally give them Merrick Bully sticks. They just haven't had rawhide in quite a while. I think they must be really confused about what to do with it.

Better this morning....

Dylan seems to be doing much better this morning. I let him out and he was running around the yard like a maniac.

I'm not sure what caused the problem with his paw so I am keeping him home from Flyball this weekend. I'll give him some more arnica this morning as well.

Hopefully the limp has passed and he just twisted it funny or something!

Dog's or no dogs?

I have a rental house on my property here. I share a yard with the tenants and their dog. Their dog is the one that attacked my baby girl just two months ago.

My tenants are moving in about a month and it is quickly becoming time for me to start showing the place. I have always allowed dogs in the past but have been picky about the kinds of dog owners that I would rent to. I want someone responsible who keeps their dog inside. I also need someone who is going to be understanding of Dylan and his "issues" and make sure that they don't just let their dog bolt out the door until the dogs are all properly introduced. Dylan takes a bit of time to accept a new dog into the yard so I need someone patient enough to wait a few weeks before the dogs can openly socialize.

I've been contemplating not allowing dogs in the future. Only because of the recent situation with Marley. I would love to be the awesome animal friendly landlord but I just don't know if it's a good idea. Marley's injuries were extensive and the owner of the dog actually has shown little sympathy (let alone offer to help pay the bills). His roommate, however, has been awesome checking up on Marley and how she is doing. I never would have expected this to happen with Marley and I am fearful of allowing other dogs on the property. I know Dylan isn't the nicest boy and I would have expected him to be involved if there was ever an issue.

I'm not sure if I should allow dogs on a case by case basis? I really like dog owners who are responsible and I think they value their rentals a bit more than people without pets. They are more likely to stay long term too since it's difficult to find a rental where pets are allowed?

Since Marley got injured we have been coordinating time in the yard so that the two females don't ever get to be together. It hasn't been too difficult so maybe I will just have to make sure that the tenants I rent to have the same willingness to coordinate?

Poor dog with a limp!

It's Dylan this time not Marley! That's actually pretty unusual. Marley is a constant limper.

I came home from work and Dylan is limping all over the place. He won't put any weight on his front right paw. I am not sure what happened but I am guessing he twisted it or something when he was jumping off the bed. When I first got home he was licking and licking and licking. It's not his pad and the foot looks okay to me. He does have Monster long nails but other than that things look okay.

I put him up on the bed and laid down with him a bit. Now he's lounging comfortable in a king size bed he has all to himself. I'm hoping he will stay there and lay still most the evening to give that paw a rest. If it's not better by morning, we will see about getting into a vet's office. My regular vet is open Saturday mornings but I usually have to schedule with them a few days in advance. The vet that did Marley's surgeries is open tomorrow and Sunday and they take walk ins for a few extra dollars. I could possibly get an appointment tomorrow or Sunday as well.

I gave him some Arnica. My holistic vet (yes I have lots of vets!) gave it to me after Marley's surgeries. She said I should have given it to Marley right after the dog fight (even before rushing to the vet). Live and learn I guess. It's supposed to be good for muscle and soft tissue injuries. Hopefully, Dylan will benefit and be bouncing off the walls very soon. I'm thinking he will have to stay home from Flyball regardless. I don't know what's wrong and even if he starts walking around like normal, I wouldn't be positive that everything is all better. It's probably best to give him some time to heal before making him jump on that flyball box. I'm bummed because we haven't had practice in a few weeks and I was getting really excited to go out and play! It's more important to make sure that he doesn't cause further injury to whatever it is that he's done to himself.

It seems my dogs are accident prone. I will never understand the people who don't even make to the vet once a year. I've been in every month this year except January. I have multiple vets who now know me and my dogs by name and I spend more money on veterinary care than I do on anything else.

Yonder Mountain String Band and Keller Williams!!

One of my favorite non-dog related things to do is to see live music. Of course, I end up going with my dog owning friends anyway though!!

Last night we went to a free show here in SLC. They have free shows every summer at the Gallivan Center. This year the line up isn't exactly my favorite but seeing Yonder Mountain String Band was high on my list of priorities. What a great show it was! Keller Williams was awesome too. We danced and danced and danced! A good night with good friends.

I took some funny pics of my friends and I. When I tried to transfer them from my memory card to my computer, I somehow deleted them. I'm pretty bummed because I couldn't find anyway to get them back. They would have been great to post on the blog. Oh well, guess there is always another show another time.

The big plans for the summer is to see Bob Dylan. I am, of course, a big fan. I usually see a few paid concerts every summer but this summer I just couldn't afford it. I got a little bummed out because I wasn't able to afford it but I decided it was worth the expense. My best friend and I first hung out 5 years ago at a Bob Dylan Show at Deer Valley. This could be the last time we are able to do that again!! So we are going next month and I can't wait.