Breaking The Block

I've been AWOL for a week. There are a couple of reasons for that. At the beginning of the week I was dealing with some migraine headaches. If you've never had a migraine, you are a very lucky person. Not only does you head feel like someone is beating on it with a large stick, but light and sound also are painful. At the same time you have the constant feeling that you're going to vomit, and sometimes you do.

I have some migraine meds that work well, but they leave me feeling wrung out and all I can manage to do is sleep for 24 or 36 hours and hope the headache doesn't come right back again.

Once the headaches cleared up, I sat down at the computer to discover that I couldn't think of anything to say. I had and maybe still have a case of "Blogger's Block".

On the door to our office where I compose this blog, is this little sign. Sometimes it seems too true.

Our snow is gone, so I couldn't post funny pictures of the dogs playing in the white stuff. I didn't think you wanted to see pictures of them traipsing thru the mud. Today the temperature was in the 60s and the sun was shining. It felt like a late spring day. The back yard was oozing with mud.

Never fear, the weatherman just told us that the biggest storm of the season, so far, is heading our way and will arrive Monday night. The dogs will be very happy about that.

I do have a couple of unrelated things to share in this disjointed post. First, sometimes it does one good to rant. After I posted my complaints about the Postal Service we had a breakthru.  The package I sent which we assumed was lost forever, arrived at it's intended destination. I sent these stacking dogs to Marge and Sam. The person at the Post Office promised me they'd arrive on December 24. Well, they got there on January 26, but they got there.

If any of you want to use my soapbox, help yourself. If it makes you feel better, then it's worth it and we'll all listen and sympathize.

Do your adult dogs still occasionally give into one of their favorite vices and destroy something when you're not home? We've learned to shut bathroom doors so that Morgan doesn't have easy access to the toilet paper roll. We also make sure that paper towels are at the very back of the counter. Bailey and Tess love to shred them and I think the others sometimes get in on the action. Sky is usually a very good boy, but he has a special liking for plastic.

This cheapo plastic waste basket is now a one of a kind designer waste basket, thanks to Sky. Notice how he trimmed it all the way around. This is the third waste basket he has redesigned for us. Here I have redirected his play to a more acceptable item.

I have spent part of the week organizing my studio, which includes sorting thru my knitting and cross stitch patterns. It's reminded me of projects I want to tackle that have been half forgotten. Tonight I bought some new plastic bins to hold them.

Next I'll sort thru my yarn and fabric stashes. Then maybe I can get into a new project. You see, as well as having blogger's block, I've had a general creative block. I haven't started a new project since Christmas.

Just one more silly thing before I let you get on to more important things. We have a hospital near us. Until recently it was called "Doctor's Hospital".  Not very creative. Recently they changed their name and put up a new sigh. I really think they missed the boat. Here it is....

Don't you think it would have been better if they had named it......
 Ozarks United Community Hospital or    "OUCH" ?


See you soon.

Snow Faces and a Rant

First I'm climbing up on my soapbox for a minute. I promise I'll be brief.

Remember the following: "Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

This used to describe the US Postal Service.

Don't get me wrong, I like the postal service and think it serves an important purpose. However, it seems that the US Postal Service whines a lot lately about how overworked and underfunded they are. Well, just maybe if they maintained the service part as well as the raising rates part, they wouldn't have so much to complain about. Members of my family work for the Postal Service and I'm not trying to trash it, but do they ever question why more and more companies and individuals turn to services such as FedEx and UPS? Do they ever question why people use e-mail instead of snail mail for communicating?

I sent all my holiday packages by US Mail this year. One never arrived. I have no recourse. It can't be tracked, it's lost forever.

This week we had about an inch and a half of snow. We had no mail delivery for two days. This also happened two weeks ago when we had about 3/4 of an inch of snow. Really folks! The mail can't get thru less than an inch of snow? What about that rain and sleet thing?

 OK, rant finished
Now for some cheerful snow faces.

Do snow faces make you smile? They make me smile and sometimes laugh out loud.

Brrrrr.......

It's cold and we have a little snow.

Although I'd like to stay inside on the couch, covered with a quilt and sipping hot tea, the dogs have other ideas.

They love playing in the cold white stuff.

Last night when I took them for their last call, the temperature was 15 degrees. It was so cold. I had a hooded jacket on, but no boots. After running around for a while and a quick game of fetch the glow ball with Tess, we trooped inside for our bedtime cookies.

 Sky was missing. I went back outside and there he was lying in the terribly cold snow under the holly bush playing with his glowball. I called and called, but he was having too much fun and he ignored me. I didn't want to go slipping and sliding down the hill in the dark, so I tried making strange noises to get his attention. Finally Rob came out to see what was taking so long. Seeing him, Sky decided we were serious and reluctantly got up and came toward us. He took his sweet time climbing the hill, but finally came inside.

Are these dogs crazy?

My MM Entry By Fudge

Last year I entered Mango Minster and by some weird error I didn't win. I wanted to demand a recount, but Mom convinced me that the Supreme Court would rule against me, so I dropped it.

I think I should enter the 'Good Old Boys' division, but Mom says NO, that I definitely belong in the 'Bad Boy' group. I think this is another example of Mom being unfair. Let me explain.

Mom used to think she wanted me to be a show dog. OK, I was willing to give it a try. Then I saw what being a show dog meant. First I had to have lots of baths and haircuts. Then we went to this big place with lots of people and dogs all over the place. It looked like it might be fun, lots of other dogs to play with and some of them were pretty nice looking lady dogs.

We waited around for awhile, then it was our turn. We went into the ring with some other dogs and walked around in circles. Then some strange dude that I didn't even know came over and looked in my mouth, then he felt me up. Can you believe it? Then Mom and I were supposed to walk up and down so the weird dude could watch us. I decided to give him something to watch, so I hopped. Mom told me to stop, but there were some people there who laughed, so I knew they appreciated me and I hopped some more. I hopped all the way in both directions. The weird feely dude gave the ribbons to another dog that didn't hop as well as I did. That dog just dragged his butt back and forth and nobody even laughed. After trying a couple times, Mom decided that maybe I wouldn't make it as a show dog. Good thinking, Mom.

Next she decided I should be an obedience dog. We went to school and I learned really fast that great treats happened whenever I listened and did what Mom said. Mom said I was a star pupil. Of course I was. This was easy stuff like sit and down and stay and heel. That stuff is a cinch. Then Mom entered us in a Rally trial. Piece of cake!

The first day I did all the sit and down and stay and heel stuff and the judge gave Mom some ribbons and gave me a squeaky toy. Great! The second day we went back and did all the same stuff for a different judge. OK, but this is getting kind of boring. That judge gave Mom some ribbons and me another toy. Then we had to go back for the third day and do it all again. What!! How many times does a guy have to do this boring stuff, anyway?

The third day we started heeling and sitting and all that. Then Mom told me to down and stay. OK, I did it, but I looked up at the judge lady and she looked just as bored as I was. She's been watching all those other dogs do this stuff all morning. I figured she'd like a little entertainment, so I rolled over a couple times. Mom said "No, Fudge" so I jumped up and licked Mom's face, then I jumped as high as I could and I can jump really high, then I spun around in a circle a few times. Then I laid back down and finished doing the stuff Mom told me to do. I glanced over at the judge lady and she didn't look happy. She wasn't laughing and she just walked away. The judge lady didn't give us any ribbons or toys. I hope that judge lady got a sense of humor transplant because her's was damaged beyond repair.

I like toys, but not as much as some of my pack mates. I mostly like to just take them away from the others. Then if I have one and they don't I like to walk back and forth in front of them and stick the toy in their faces to show them that I have it and they don't. With Noah I go over and shove him a little and stick the toy right in his snooter. Noah's a wimp and I love to tease him. He get's all upset and runs to Mom and she tells me to stop, but as soon as she looks away I shove him again.

I have a couple of old blog posts that you can look at if you want to know me better. One is my concession speech from last year when I didn't win at MangoMinster. Mom told me to be gracious. I did my best.

Another post is about a complaint I had when Mom started training that wimpy Noah. She actually thinks he can be a Rally dog. Come on!

So now you know me a little and you can see what a great, fun loving guy I am. So vote for me, Fudge, for Bad Sport of the Year.

Our Snow Day

 We didn't get nearly as much snow this week as some of you did, but for two days the ground was white and the dogs had fun.

Lola looked around to see where the action was.

The other girls were zooming around the yard.

Don't these look like happy dogs?

The temperatures were in single digits much of the time, yet they chose to lie on the ground to play with their toys. Norma Jean found a frozen glowball.

Bailey doesn't mind the cold, either.

Lola wanted me to throw the ball for her to chase.

Sky looks happy to have some snow.

Samba was eating snow.

 This shot of Noah was before he went off to roll in the snow.

Tsar was probably the happiest of all the dogs. This is what he dreams of all year long.

This is the picture that makes me happiest. For more than a year Samba has looked sad in her pictures. She wouldn't open her mouth or look up at the camera. It was as if she was embarrassed by her facial paralysis and her thin, spotty coat. Now look at her. Her coat has grown in, she can blink and move her face and she can open her mouth. Now she smiles for the camera. That's my girl!

Speaking Of Hockey...

In my last post I confessed to being a major hockey fan. I introduced my entire family to the sport and some of them became big fans, too. Now I have a story about a hockey player to share with you.

I have a brother Dan. He's always been a sports nut and in high school he played basketball, football and wrestled, but his passion was baseball. He was a catcher, which is tough on the knees, and he was good. He was good enough to consider a career in pro baseball, but then he injured his knee during a game of basketball with a few buddies. He's had several operations on the knee and sometimes has to wear a brace. It ended his dreams of being a professional baseball player, but there must be something in his genes.

One of the best decisions Dan ever made was to marry Michele. She is the best sister-in-law anyone could ever have. I love her. We have something in common, our love for animals. She's also a great Mom to my niece and nephew.

Now I want to introduce someone extremely important to me. This is my  nephew Eddie. In this picture he was six days old and I spent most of the day holding him.

Here Dan is holding Eddie, in white, and my cousin's son Ian who was six weeks old in this photo. Dan has always loved little kids. When he was in college he worked summers teaching sports to little kids. He's very patient.

Now, about those genes. Eddie seemed to be born with an interest in sports. Rob and I lived near Baltimore at the time, so we gave Eddie his first baseball uniform.

Once he was standing on his own, he was swinging a bat.

He also inherited my love of junk food. Here he looks like a chipmunk as he stuffs cheesy poufs into his mouth.

He got his love of animals from both his mom and dad.

Wasn't he a cute little guy?

When Eddie was three, his sister Ann Marie was born. They've always been best friends.

They played together from the start.

Almost as soon as Eddie could stand up on skates, he started playing hockey.

For a while Ann Marie played hockey, too, but she soon became more interested in soccer.

Eddie also played soccer.....

and baseball.

Well, the years have flown by and Dan and Michele have attended more soccer and baseball and hockey games than anyone can count.

Eddie is a senior in highschool now, the same highschool I attended. He still plays baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter. Next fall he'll be going off to college and will undoubtedly play those sports in college.

On December 23 Ed was playing hockey when he suffered an injury and was taken to the hospital.

He broke his left humerus bone. At first it seemed to be healing well, but then the position of the bone shifted, so on Tuesday of this week he had surgery to put a rod in his arm to hold the bone together.

He's pretty uncomfortable right now, but I'm sure he'll soon be swinging that hockey stick again. I love you Ed and I hope you heal quickly.