For those of you who haven’t read my missives about my dogs, Rosie is my soon to be 14 year old Lhasa Apso. Until about a year ago, she was just as sweet as could be. But now, like many old people, she’s getting crankier by the day.
To give you some background, last year we had to change groomers because Rosie was put on “probation” by her old groomer for pooping and peeing on the table then nipping at the groomer. She never did that before and I wrote it off to the new inexperienced groomers they were hiring. Anyway, the new groomer knows how to deal with sensitive older dogs and Rosie has mostly tolerated them and even enjoys her pampering every 3 weeks there.
Rosie is also the one whose snores sound like a phantom jet roaring through the room. Pound for pound she can out snore anything on the planet.
She also doesn’t like stairs. She quit going down the deck stairs a couple of years ago - too high, steep and slippery for her (she only likes concrete or carpeted steps with low risers now). Since the doggie door goes out to the deck this was a problem at first because she was using the deck as her bathroom. But I love her so I keep tissues to pick up the poop and a garden spray bottle close by full of simple green and water to wash everything away .
Then she decided she doesn’t want to get wet anymore, so she started going next to the doggie door – INSIDE! So, 2 rugs later, I have a waterproof tarp with newspapers available for her convenience. The papers are changed and tarps are cleaned everyday and the tarps are replaced every month or so. I’m a smell fanatic, so we keep it very clean.
Her dislike for stairs has now taken a new turn. Since her recent episode of sliding down the stairs and little encounter with the paint tray in which she became known as “Rosie the red assed dog”, she refuses to go down the stairs anymore. She will go up them, but she won’t go down.
So, picture this; our bedroom and family room where we spend the majority of our time is downstairs. I have set up a spot in the laundry room with a pooch pad and some water and food for her convenience (YES, she IS spoiled). However she still prefers her papers, deck and food and water from the kitchen – upstairs. So she climbs the stairs – which with her short and stiff little legs is quite a process – and does her thing upstairs, then she sits at the top of the stairs and barks until I come CARRY her back downstairs.
If I’m not home, she doesn’t really care and just goes and sleeps under the red chair in the guest bedroom – her favorite snoozing spot upstairs. However, when I’m home she wants to be near me and she likes to sleep with me so she can occasionally wake me up with her snoring.
Last night she barked me awake. This means I’m supposed to put her on the floor so she can go do her thing. It was about 3 in the morning and after I put her down, I decided to hold my ground and just go back to sleep and let her bark. She barked from the top of the stairs and I ignored her until I finally went back to sleep.
This morning when I went upstairs to the kitchen to eat breakfast, fix my lunch, give the girls fresh food and water and change the papers and clean the tarp, Rosie had managed to express her displeasure with me for ignoring her barks. She peed and pooped all over part of the kitchen floor – RIGHT NEXT TO THE TARP!
I had to clean and sanitize the whole thing in my work clothes and heels. Mommy was not happy! Rosie made her point. I found her snoozing under the red chair and gave her medicine and a small treat. No use punishing her. Dog only knows what she might do then.
Now I understand why they call female dogs bitches.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Hot again!
It's going to be in the 90's again here today. Very unusual for all us PNW slugs. They say we're going to have high humidity too. Now you have to understand that high humidity in the PNW is not like high humidity in the Midwest, South or East. Here high humidity occurs at around the 50 to 60% level. Compare this to the 80% and 90% levels in the other areas of the country (I spent the 1st 36 years of my life in Illinois). They don't have a clue what real humidity is like.
In the Midwest during the summer I spent lots of time fighting colds caused by going in and out of the air conditioning at work and from all the viruses lurking around commercial buildings. At home (no AC then), the fans were running full time and the humidity was so high it was hardly worth drying off after a shower. At night I would sleep nude on my bed (it wasn’t a gross picture back then) with the fan going full blast and wake up still sweating.
The heat and humidity were oppressive. Sometimes I spent so much time trying to find ways to stay cool I didn’t get any work done. Doing anything that required effort only made things worse. It was not fun!
So my question to all these wimps out here is always, "What humidity?"
What a bunch of whiners!
Man it's hot!
In the Midwest during the summer I spent lots of time fighting colds caused by going in and out of the air conditioning at work and from all the viruses lurking around commercial buildings. At home (no AC then), the fans were running full time and the humidity was so high it was hardly worth drying off after a shower. At night I would sleep nude on my bed (it wasn’t a gross picture back then) with the fan going full blast and wake up still sweating.
The heat and humidity were oppressive. Sometimes I spent so much time trying to find ways to stay cool I didn’t get any work done. Doing anything that required effort only made things worse. It was not fun!
So my question to all these wimps out here is always, "What humidity?"
What a bunch of whiners!
Man it's hot!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Busy, hot day
I'm away at a work conference right now so no time for posting. Hopefully I'll have time tomorrow night. Been thinking more about what it feels like to be commitment phobic and how to describe the process I go through when confronted with a situation that may require a commitment and I'm almost ready to write it down.
It's going to be in the 90's today and tomorrow in Seattle. We're all shriveling up and dying.
What's it like where you are?
It's going to be in the 90's today and tomorrow in Seattle. We're all shriveling up and dying.
What's it like where you are?
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Feeling silly today!
I've been working hard for the last 4 days and I'm feeling a little silly. So here's one of my favorite pictures. It suits my mood!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Damned door!
I'm beginning to think the damned front door doesn't want to be red. The new can of paint is not "Red, Red Wine", it's pukey magenta. They gave me the wrong color! I should've bought the gallon in the first place. I took the next 2 days off work to finish some stuff around the house and it looks like the only thing that's going to be finished is me.
Sorry, just needing to rant!
Sorry, just needing to rant!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Pictures of new front door tomorrow!
So, it's almost done. I almost have a red door. I also now have a partially red entry rug and a partially red coat closet door - this time thanks to Belle the wonder pooch.
I went to Home Depot and purchased the tinted primer and get this - the salesman told ME to go get the primer I wanted. Now I am not a painter by trade and I was unprepared for this so I wandered dazed and confused into the paint aisle and started reading labels. I must have been gone for quite a while because he finally came to find me and quickly picked up a can of primer then asked ME if this would be okay. I politely shook my head but my brain was thinking, "How the Hell should I know! You're the experts. That's why I came here!"
And then after he mixed it, the color was bubble gum pink. I mean seriously pink! I just kept telling myself that the experts on HGTV say all red looks pink in the can and not to panic. Anyway I primed this morning then put on 2 more coats of red. It needs another coat so I have purchased more and will put it on tomorrow, but the door is looking GOOD!
Oh, yea! The spill happened when Belle came up behind me and I almost tripped over her, thus spilling the paint on the floor, rug and closet door. I wiped up most of it, but now I have to buy a new rug. Oh, darn! (I hated that stupid rug.)
That's why I needed more paint!
I went to Home Depot and purchased the tinted primer and get this - the salesman told ME to go get the primer I wanted. Now I am not a painter by trade and I was unprepared for this so I wandered dazed and confused into the paint aisle and started reading labels. I must have been gone for quite a while because he finally came to find me and quickly picked up a can of primer then asked ME if this would be okay. I politely shook my head but my brain was thinking, "How the Hell should I know! You're the experts. That's why I came here!"
And then after he mixed it, the color was bubble gum pink. I mean seriously pink! I just kept telling myself that the experts on HGTV say all red looks pink in the can and not to panic. Anyway I primed this morning then put on 2 more coats of red. It needs another coat so I have purchased more and will put it on tomorrow, but the door is looking GOOD!
Oh, yea! The spill happened when Belle came up behind me and I almost tripped over her, thus spilling the paint on the floor, rug and closet door. I wiped up most of it, but now I have to buy a new rug. Oh, darn! (I hated that stupid rug.)
That's why I needed more paint!
Monday, July 2, 2007
Thoughts for the Day
A friend sent me these and I thought they were worth sharing.
...I planted some bird seed. A bird came up. Now I don't know what to feed it.
...I had amnesia once -- or twice.
...I went to San Franscisco. I found someone's heart. Now what?
...Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic.
...All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
...If the world was a logical place, men would be the ones who ride horses sidesaddle.
...What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free?
...They told me I was gullible... and I believed them.
....Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to merge his car onto the freeway.
...Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone.
...One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.
...My weight is perfect for my height -- which varies.
...I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.
...The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.
...How can there be self-help "groups"?
...If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?
...Show me a man with both feet firmly on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't get his pants off.
...Is it my imagination, or do buffalo wings taste like chicken
...I planted some bird seed. A bird came up. Now I don't know what to feed it.
...I had amnesia once -- or twice.
...I went to San Franscisco. I found someone's heart. Now what?
...Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic.
...All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
...If the world was a logical place, men would be the ones who ride horses sidesaddle.
...What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free?
...They told me I was gullible... and I believed them.
....Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to merge his car onto the freeway.
...Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone.
...One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.
...My weight is perfect for my height -- which varies.
...I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.
...The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.
...How can there be self-help "groups"?
...If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?
...Show me a man with both feet firmly on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't get his pants off.
...Is it my imagination, or do buffalo wings taste like chicken
Sunday, July 1, 2007
I'm an idiot! - Again!
Today started out so well. I took the girls to the doggie beauty parlor and they came home beautiful. I got 3 loads of laundry done, finished power washing the back patio and all the deck furniture, washed the front door, stoop and sidewalk, went to the store and found the perfect shade of red for the front door, and applied 2 coats of paint. That's the good part.
There were a few mishaps along the way.
I accidentally got too close to the house a couple of times with the power washer and now have a couple of spots to touch up. They're very small - almost imperceptible - but oops! Good thing they left me a 1 1/2 gallons of extra paint.
In power washing one of my tarps, I accidentally blew it apart. Oops!
The paint didn't stick to my front door. Apparently my pre-primed door has been hanging too long without paint and the primer doesn't work anymore. I stupidly turned down the suggestion from the clerk at Home Depot to buy a quart of tinted primer because I figured a quart should be enough for at least 3 coats on a front door. The paint just peeled right off as easy as you please. Tomorrow on the way home I'm buying the tinted primer. So no pictures of my beautifully painted door today.
While I was letting the paint dry, I fixed some rissoto in the micorwave and it boiled over. Anther mess to clean up. Oops!
As bad as all of this was, the worst - and the funniest - was my dog Rosie. She's my old 14 year old and is mostly deaf and partly blind. When I'm home, she likes to sleep close by. She has a difficult time negotiating the stairs. The front door is on a landing with stairs going up and down. Sensing I was on the landing, she came half walking and half sliding down the stairs, narrowly avoiding disaster.
I quickly gathered up the paint can, rag, roller and brush and moved them aside, but I wasn't quick enough. She sat down in the paint tray. Her right front paw, butt and tail are now a lovely shade of red as are a couple of the stairs going down. I wiped as much off as possible, but I'm afraid most of it will just have to wear off with time.
I guess if you're going to have a dog with a red ass, Rosie is an appropriate name!
There were a few mishaps along the way.
I accidentally got too close to the house a couple of times with the power washer and now have a couple of spots to touch up. They're very small - almost imperceptible - but oops! Good thing they left me a 1 1/2 gallons of extra paint.
In power washing one of my tarps, I accidentally blew it apart. Oops!
The paint didn't stick to my front door. Apparently my pre-primed door has been hanging too long without paint and the primer doesn't work anymore. I stupidly turned down the suggestion from the clerk at Home Depot to buy a quart of tinted primer because I figured a quart should be enough for at least 3 coats on a front door. The paint just peeled right off as easy as you please. Tomorrow on the way home I'm buying the tinted primer. So no pictures of my beautifully painted door today.
While I was letting the paint dry, I fixed some rissoto in the micorwave and it boiled over. Anther mess to clean up. Oops!
As bad as all of this was, the worst - and the funniest - was my dog Rosie. She's my old 14 year old and is mostly deaf and partly blind. When I'm home, she likes to sleep close by. She has a difficult time negotiating the stairs. The front door is on a landing with stairs going up and down. Sensing I was on the landing, she came half walking and half sliding down the stairs, narrowly avoiding disaster.
I quickly gathered up the paint can, rag, roller and brush and moved them aside, but I wasn't quick enough. She sat down in the paint tray. Her right front paw, butt and tail are now a lovely shade of red as are a couple of the stairs going down. I wiped as much off as possible, but I'm afraid most of it will just have to wear off with time.
I guess if you're going to have a dog with a red ass, Rosie is an appropriate name!
Sunny Sunday morning
It's a beautiful Sunday morning in the PNW. It's finally warmed up enough here to turn off the heat for summer.
The girls are at the doggie beauty parlor and I'm working around the house trying to make the rest of it look better. Now that it's painted, everything else looks really crappy. I power washed the deck and most of the patio and deck furniture in back. Still have to do the rest of the deck, some furniture and the sidewalk, porch and entry door in front. Then I'm going to paint my front door red - a nice subtle dark red! I have some devil's horns a friend made for me that are the perfect color, so I think I'll take them with me to the store when I get the paint. Wonder what the clerk will say?
Don't feel like dealing with commitment phobia today. Maybe later, but I'm not going to commit to that!
The girls are at the doggie beauty parlor and I'm working around the house trying to make the rest of it look better. Now that it's painted, everything else looks really crappy. I power washed the deck and most of the patio and deck furniture in back. Still have to do the rest of the deck, some furniture and the sidewalk, porch and entry door in front. Then I'm going to paint my front door red - a nice subtle dark red! I have some devil's horns a friend made for me that are the perfect color, so I think I'll take them with me to the store when I get the paint. Wonder what the clerk will say?
Don't feel like dealing with commitment phobia today. Maybe later, but I'm not going to commit to that!
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