Sweater weather

There are some sweet young women in my life that I am blessed to know. Each one is quirky, artsy, creative, smart, and kind.

Oh, and drop dead gorgeous.

The three of them are headed off to school in just one week. There is a flip flopping tidal wave of emotion and hormones that those girls are riding as two are headed to opposite ends of our giant country (and leaving eachother/their first love) and one returns for her final term.

These girls are also very silly and can make me snort in my laughter with them... at them. One tonight was trying to show us her "jazz hands"... but she has as problem getting the one hand to cooperate. .. so it's like a jazz hand. Or... nemo.  Really, that left hand is just waving goodbye.

It's muggy gross out. At work I wear layers to fight the air conditioning.  Today I chose a rather unfortunate see-through shirt under my sweater... I took off my sweater after one of the girls said the house was too cold with the a.c. running, it was on to get the humidity out of the house, it wasn't that hot, just so damp and gross. It meant I was in my see through shirt, but I really didn't care and, whatever.

Ruebendog was having a hard time getting settled. So much whining. 
So I brought him up on my lap for a squishing. It didn't work. I just got steamrolled. And covered in fur.

"But at least your shirt isn't so see-through".

*insert eyeroll here*

Crash and boom

I nearly died this week.

We've been waiting for rain. The weather network has misled me time and time again this week. No real rain has come. My rain barrel is empty.
So on day three of rain warnings, I took the dog to the beach.

It was a low and foggy morning. My hair was in ringlets from the humidity but it still wouldn't rain.

I felt like I was walking in a cloud. The fog was so thick, I couldn't see 50 metres ahead. The dog was happy to run like a fool and kept nearish... I had a lot of treats in my pocket.

There are still so many midges down at the beach, and since there wasn't a tonne of wind that morning they hung in columns... and since it was foggy, I kept walking into them... so gross.

We walked to the west end of the beach and then headed down to the east point, our usual routine. We passed an eager couple. .. they looked like little kids, gleefully heading into the mist. I felt as bubbly and happy as they looked.... seriously, it's not often you get to walk on the inside of a cloud.

And then I felt them.
The freakin midges.
In my hair.

I started to lose my mind wiping at my hair. My scalp was crawling with the stupid little bugs. I don't know how many of them I've inhaled this year, and they were trying to get back at me for the death of their cousins. No matter what I did though, I couldn't stop them. They were everywhere. Crawling.  In my hair.

But.
I couldn't actually find any of them. I mean, my scalp was crawling with them, lifting my hair, but my hands weren't finding them no matter how I picked at them.

I got all tech and pulled out my phone, desperate to find and rid myself of the squirmy feeling. I turned my camera to selfie mode and aimed at my scalp.... there were no bugs! I was so confused. I looked closer. No bugs anywhere!
I'd been swatting at my head for the past minute for nothing! 

As I pulled the camera away... that's when I noticed it.
My hair, all the crazy short pieces and wispy ends, was standing on end.
I lowered my hand holding the phone slowly and placed it in my pocket... and suddenly...

KABOOM!

The loudest and closest thunder that I've heard in a long long time.

the pain

It's still a death trap out there.

Last night we moved into the Capitol Theatre after months of rehearsing at the firehall theatre- Opening night for Northumberland Players' presentation of Jesus Christ Superstar is just 4 days away. While we were there I pointed out a rug that had been taped to the floor in the green room, " a few years ago during Sweeny Todd, one of the girls slipped and broke her elbow during the show... now there are rugs." We chatted about how terrible it would be to have to quit after so much work went into the show.

On the drive home I was talking with another cast member about how the dog was suffering the winter "we're not walking as much, he gets one short walk each day but I'm just so nervous with the ice on the sidewalks". Her neighbour just doesn't walk his dogs all winter and they go insane.

When I got home I got Rueben ready for his evening walk- long line and harness at night, no need for a short leash.

Two doors down from my house I stepped onto the sidewalk and landed firmly on my hip, my wrist taking a jolt. The dog trotted over, sniffed my face and walked away.

Nothing's broken thankfully, my wrist is tender, my hip bruised... my pinky finger is not broken (I thought it was in the moment last night)... and the dog isn't going for any more walks till this show is over.

Snowdays

Power has been out for more than an hour... the roads are snow drifts.

I think we'll just stay put with a good book today.

Stank

Last weekend I escaped to the city with two of my girlfriends. It was a wonderful time away, lots of laughing and just a very sweet time with some lovelies.

While I was gone Rueben went to doggie daycare. I love sending him there ,he has a great time, and he comes back tired.

When I picked him up on Sunday he came to the door and it was obvious that he'd been playing hard. His ear fur was all covered in slobber and matted to the sides of his head... and he'd been sprayed with the dog-fabrize... a dog covered in perfume.  I took one look at him and the owner of the daycare sighed... "you've got to do something about that dog... I got a complaint". 

Yup. Months later and my dog still smells like skunk.

* it's only when he gets covered in slobber or soaking wet ... He plays too hard and the slobber activates the stink and then it gets all over the other dogs and then all the dogs smell like skunk.
Awesome.

Arctic Animals

It's only the 16th of January and I'm already so sick of walking like a penguin.

4 days before Christmas we were hit with a major ice storm. Usually things like that come and go with the fluctuations in temperature that we are blessed with here in Central/East Ontario- lake effect.

Not so this year.
Sure we had a warm spell yesterday and the ice started to melt... but it only STARTED to melt... the top layer becoming a puddle... but still ON TOP OF THE ICE. So, now that the temperatures have dropped, I have a hockey rink in my backyard. I could ask the zamboni driver to make a stop at my house as he drives around the block (because he still drives back and forth down the street to the rink) just to ... even out some of the potholes in the ice. 3 inches of ice in most of my backyard. SOLID.

And now it's "boyfriend snowing" out. Big fluffy romantic flakes. Masking the death that lies waiting to fell me to the ground, head gashed open... big dopey puppy bounding over my smashed body... "are we still going for a walk?!"

Big dopey puppy has been on backyard arrest for nearly 3 weeks- since the ice came. He doesn't understand why we're not walking... or why when we do... I walk like a penguin, ever so slowly. So now he's taken to escaping from the backyard- totally out of boredom. He's jumped the composter, and learned how to open the back gate (I've since tied it shut).  I got a call yesterday morning... "I think your dog escaped, he was playing in traffic so I brought him in my house". Of course he was playing in traffic. Thank goodness my phone number is on his tags. Every tried to buy your dog a treadmill? Don't try to do it in the months before or after New years.

I just miss walking down the street with confidence.
I'm sure my ligaments are getting shorter with each passing day, soon my stride will be perma-penguin.

Really?

Sometimes I'm too close to something to see it for what it is.
It takes someone else seeing the thing with fresh eyes, to really see where I am.

Take Rueben.
He's a nutty pup. He wears me out and drives me around the bend, he has near to zero impulse control. But really... really... where are we?

I had a group of friends here today, and over and over again I heard reactions to my dog. He was polite, he didn't jump up (much- until the baby voices started and people leaned over inviting him), he listened and sat or got into a down when asked. He was gentle and respectful of a visiting smaller dog that doesn't like to play. And he was mostly quiet.

 We don't have to do the 12kms every day anymore just to make it through the day. He's sleeping on the bed right now.. letting me type and watch a movie.

We have come SUCH.A.LONG.WAY.

I'm thankful for the perspective of others today.

Did you know this?

I feel like the bionic woman.
No really... This week's highlights included CUTTING A BAR OF STEEL WITH MY BARE HANDS.

Not kidding.
I've been prepping to build a chainlink fence in the backyard to keep the non-wonder dog secure. One of my tasks was to find a way to make a top rail shorter. What the heck do you use to cut large bars of metal?
Turns out I use my little hack saw.
Thank you google.

While I was doing it I had to keep stopping to laugh. I was CUTTING metal.
Ok, I know it's not something funny... but like... here I am, a girl in her backyard cutting a piece of metal to build herself a fence... it's kind of funny. And.. did I mention it was a BAR OF STEEL?
Ok, maybe it was some random mix of metals...but. whatever.

Added to the list of things I learned to do this week- cut metal, change the blade in my hack saw, what a hack saw is, how to dig post holes around tree roots, how to make chain link not so saggy.
This is a great list.

edit: add to the list, I learned that my dog has zero impulse control. The fence is nearly finished, I showed the dog the fence- walked him it's length several times, tapped on it- made him look at it. The dog ran full face into the fence at the first squirrel he saw. Gave himself a bloody nose and a big welt across the forehead.
My dog is going to break his neck or get hit by a car... I know it.

everyone likes an update

Back to that time I lost my shit.

I took a vacation this week- There were a few things I needed to do around the house...like paint the bathroom, build the fence, coon-proof the coop, and rebuild the rotted wall of the shed.

I've got three days left of my vacation... and it's raining.

Truth is, one of the projects ended up being so much bigger than I thought it would be, and without a vehicle... I spent a lot of my week in "hurry up and wait" mode.

Last sunday night the dog and I found a skunk sitting on my back step.

 It's been living under my neighbour's shed all summer, and hanging out down the street at the construction site for weeks. Sunday night, it decided to cut through my yard on it's way home just as we were headed out for Rueben's last walk. I didn't turn on the light. I was walking with my eyes nearly shut- I cracked the back door open, and Rueben SHOT OUT OF IT and ripped the leash right out of my hand. So I stumbled down the stairs yelling at him... in time to see him PIN a skunk to the ground... in time to watch him let it go... get sprayed, chase it under the trailer... and, as any good herding dog would do... HERD THE SKUNK BACK AT ME. I opened my umbrella to use as a shield. Rue then chased it under the trailer... then back to me.. then under the trailer... then back to me. At one point I went into the house to escape it all... but the stupid dog was barking and pinning the skunk to the ground over and over, I knew I needed to pull him off the skunk if it was ever going to end.

The thing about skunk spray? It doesn't smell like skunk.

I kept wondering if maybe it was a young skunk who hadn't figured out how to spray right yet... because all I could smell was this terrible petrol-like smell... not gas, like heavy oil products.

The thing about skunk spray? It smells like skunk AFTER you start washing it off.

I dumped the dog and myself in the tub... Rueben's first bath since I got him... (note: he hates baths)
And started rinsing us off with baking soda and peroxide. My hands were covered in the stink (from grabbing the dog- and his saturated leash), my feet were covered in the stink (from running around trying to grab the dog in freshly sprayed grass and gravel)... and my nose was full of it. Meanwhile, the dog looked like a cartoon rabies victim with all the foaming at the mouth and drooling he was doing (his reaction to the skunk spray in his mouth) and kept trying to wipe his face on everything.

I'm so thankful I locked him in the back room of the house after that first bath... it's now just the bathroom and back room that have a skunky after smell to them.

Best thing I learned from this experience- have baking soda, peroxide, and a mild dish soap on hand. These are your friends. The dog only smells of skunk right around his mouth and eyes where I couldn't get too close with my cleaning mixture. The rest of him just smells like normal dog. I'm sure there are measurements that you can use, google it ... I just dumped the bottle of peroxide, half a box of baking soda, and a squirt of dish soap into a cup and mixed it together.
As a plus, it's a great exfoliant for yourself.

It took me two showers to pass the sniff test by friends.
Sniff tests took place inside closed vehicles to ensure the results would be true.

That's what friends are for.

(remind me not to wear those flip flops in your car though)

Turn on the lights

Then there was that time that the dog and I got sprayed by a skunk.
Yeah, that happened.

I think I'm almost at the point where I can write about it without KILLING the dog.

I mean, I'm at the point now where I can be in the house without gagging... so that's something..


right?

Right.

It's been awhile since a day off with no commitments whatsoever.

... at the end of it I turned to the dog and tried to make him promise me that if I died alone in this house, he'd have the decency to not eat my face off.
He didn't answer.

My dog is an American

Sir Rueben OnWry with Mustard

a little follow up, now that I've got a working keyboard! Don't worry, this isn't going to become a dog blog... seriously, I've had him for 3 months and I'm only just getting around to writing about him.

So the poor boy was living on the streets... in Ohio. Weird right? My dog is an American. He was picked up by a kill shelter and spent the next week or two there- the shelter said his time was up there and thankfully Collie Rescue stepped in. They brought him up into Ontario where he was only in his foster home a week before my application was accepted... he moved in with me a little less than a month later.

I think the thing that is the strangest is how good he is... like really- other than the puppy antics and the crazy barking (I've won the fight against the bark 2 days in a row now!) He's so well behaved. He learns quickly. He wants to please me. He's had one accident (when he was sick) in the house- and even then he did everything he could to NOT have an accident in the house. He LOVES little people... and is mostly gentle with them- yesterday he wanted to run over a small child with excitement, but he sat, then flopped over on his back for a belly rub. He doesn't offer his belly to adults when he meets them... but little kids... he's in LOVE with little people.... he lets them do weird little kid things to him... like tie stuffed animals to his head- and then he prances around following them, licking them.... with stuffed animals still tied to his head.

What sort of state are you in when you let a family pet go out on the streets? Is it a matter of not caring that it's gone - and so not following up by calling the shelter? Is it a matter of not noticing your pet is missing? Is it a family that is so strapped for cash, letting their pet fend for themselves is the only financial option they think they have? 

Blows me away.

He's a good boy... I'm a lucky duck.

better late than never.

I fully intended to write a post about my new pooch back months ago when I got him... but then we started walking together and it seemed every free second was given to him.

 (with this face, wouldn't you give every second?)

2 pairs of shoes and nearly 3 pant sizes later, we've settled into a routine that works for the 2 of us. One that still leaves me some down time for reading and writing...  And netfix.

He's a sweet boy, and I shouldn't complain about his shelter dog quirks- we're working through them. He loves everyone and works really hard to be a good boy.

Rueben Onwry With Mustard- because every dog needs a distinguished name

I'd been so lonely since I had to put down Jelly, I started looking on petfinder.com to see if I found anything that looked appealing... Two friends posted his link to me on facebook... and I fell in love.
And that's that! He's here to stay.

run forrest

So, Rueben and I have taken his training with the bike cart a step further... he had so much fun running beside the cart in training that he's now running for 5/10 mins a day beside the bike. I want to make this as safe as possible, so I need to rig something up that can attach to the rack on the back of the bike and hold the leash out a foot from the side of the bike. I'm sure I can ask a welding friend. 

He's tied in a quick release knot to the rack at the back now -to keep him out of the path of the bike and because he can't throw the bike off when he decides it's time to bark at another dog. We travel at "fast trot" speed and the second he has to break into a lope we slow down- because of where he's tied, he runs right beside my right knee so I can see him without the danger of him getting under the wheels. So far so good. We go on the quietest streets after the evening walkers are laying on their couches with their dogs.... and he's SO so happy!
My feet are so happy too.


I'm going to have to learn how to weld... I have visions of a collie cart bike hybrid!

some days aka soymedayys

Some days, it's too hot to do anything after work but lay on the couch with a beer and watch too many episodes of "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix. (Side note... DEAR GLORY ME... THAT is a great show... a little graphic nudity, but who isn't desensitized already these days?)

Some days, your dog bumps into the table and knocks your beer onto the laptop.

Sometimes, when you're really lucky, the next morning... only a few keys are a little sticky and the touch pad isn't your best friend, and your computer smells like a dirty bar.... but you're happy anyway because you didn't get the blue screen of death when you turned your computer on that morning.

Let's all think warm loving thoughts for my computer shall we?

they're baaaa-aack

It took two crunches before I realized what was happening.

It was so familiar, but so strange. A forgotten memory.

I was out for a walk down to the beach with my new lovely pup (story about the pup later) when I heard a crunch... felt a crunch. One more step and I felt and heard another.
It was the second crunch that did it.
I looked down immediately, knowing I'd have to tread carefully.

Mass snail exodus.

Snails... everywhere.

I counted eleven more in the four yards before the beach.
So gross.