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May 25 Misadventures In PuppylandToday was the first work day for Sophia and Amy to be alone for a full eight hours.
When I came home, there was the predictable pee puddle and poop pile on the kitchen floor. Nothing unusual. I sent them outside while I cleaned up. Sophia whimpered and cried at the screen door, but I just worked at my mopping duties and ignored her. I noticed that Amy went off to take care of her business as any civilized dog should. A minute later Amy returned and sat outside the door waiting patiently while the puppy continued her conniption fit.
Once the floor was clean I headed downstairs to change my clothes. Sometime in the three mintues that I was down there, the whining stopped. I came back upstairs and noticed the dogs were no longer at the door, so I headed outside.
How strange, I thought. Sophia wasn't on the wood deck. She had been afraid of the wood stairs in the past week "Amy...Sophia! Come!" I yelled as I walked down the stairs. Amy appeared immediately from the lower yard. Then I saw it...and I didn't know whether to panic or laugh. A sopping wet little black puppy was climbing the stairs up from the pond. On her nose was a little pile of duckweed.
It that short four minute period while I was changing, Sophia had gone all the way down the stairs of the upper deck, and then down the concrete stairs to the Japanese garden and had apparently fallen into the pond. What a gutsy little girl. Dripping and soggy, I watched her climb the wood stair quickly and meet me half way. I picked her up, brought her inside and toweled her off over the kitchen sink. As I type this story, she's sitting on my belly right now, shaking like a leaf...still damp, but no worse for the wear.
Sophia took her first swim today. It reminds me of the time my niece Nora fell into the pond one night when she reached out too far from sitting at the edge. Nora managed to sneak back into the house without us noticing and change her clothes as though nothing had happened.
Thankfully, the pond is only two feet deep, and Nora was about 9 years old. But two feet is very deep for a 9 week old schnauzer. I'm pleased the pup managed to extract herself from the predicatment and head up the stairs when she heard my voice.
Something tells me Sophia won't be going near the pond again any time soon. May 24 The Honeymoon Is OverWell, it was nice while it lasted. Sophia peed inside for the first time last night. Then she pooped on the wood floor too. TWICE! Such is life with a puppy. Certainly she has done most of her business outside. Our little girl continues to charm us with her energy and playful personality.
On the bad side, today Gene found out from our vet that Sophia also has giardia parasites. Now all the animals have to go on medication. That problem, combined with the ear mites and yeast infection seem to indicate a problem with the breeder. Gene did remark when he got home that the place looked dumpy. A co-worker of Gene's had expressed happiness with the same breeder, so I am disappointed. It's hard to find a good reputable breeder. These problems are minor overall - they can be solved. Unfortunately, we have to pay the money to solve them. So I probably would not recommend Black Horse Farms near Bellingham unless they clean up their site and take steps to protect the health of their puppies.
I'm glad Sophia is otherwise healthy. May 23 Sophia Reaches a MilestoneLast night was the first quiet night for Sophia Schnauzer. She didn't whimper or whine in her kennel until she heard me stiring at 5:30 this morning. Sadly, I still didn't sleep well because I have so many school issues on my mind. How can anyone teach for 20 or 30 years without going insane!
The pup continues to go outside for her "business" as well. She still hasn't peed inside. I'm amazed at her control. I've never heard of a puppy avoiding pee accidents entirely. I'm sure there has to be one in her future.
Fortunately, I think Sophia's yeast infection and ear mites are coming under control. The strange chemical smell she had when we first brought her home has diminished dramatically. Gene is giving her meds and irrigation every day.
Yesterday, we heard her bark for the first time. Maggie the cat decided to co-opt Sophia's little bed. When the micro pup decided she would approach the cat and ask her to leave, she was greeted with a low grumble and a nasty hiss. Making a wise choice, Sophia retreated about five feet and commenced barking in protest. HEY! ...HEY!....YOU...HEY! THAT'S MINE!...HEY!
After a while she gave up and went off looking for a magazine to shred. My Newsweek with Hillary Clinton on the cover is now in the recycling bin. Hopefully, that wasn't a demonstration of Sophia's political bent - for if it is, she's going to have a tough time living in this household. May 21 Puppy UpdateSophia continues to charm us.
So far, she has learned to climb the steps outside, as well as slide/jump down the steps in the basement. However, those steps are a bit to long for her to climb up right now. I don't think it will be long before she can mount them all successfully.
The bad news is Sophia has a yeast infection in her ears brought on by ear mites. She is on a regimen of flushing and medication now. Otherwise, according to the vet, she is healthy and normal (though on the small side). That's fine with us. We like our minis to be micro.
Amy and Sophia are getting along better. In the last 24 hours they have started to chase each other. But sometimes Sophia makes a social faux pax. This morning she walked up to Amy and started licking Amy's ear. No problem, right? Then she bit it! Needless to say, Amy was not pleased.
The cat remains skeptical about our new pup. Yesterday, Sophia sniffed Maggie's tail - only the very tip. That earned her a swift smack across the face from the cat. Sophia is more reticent to approach Maggie now.
When Sophia arrived here on Friday night, she seemed lethargic and slow. She must have been tired and scared - but no longer is that the case. She races through the house regularly, often tumbling and falling along the way. Her energy level is always high....at least until she collapses on a pillow for a nap. Then, an hour later she is up and racing, chewing, and sniffing again.
Finally, the most problematic thing about the new dog so far has been kennel training. She is learning to sleep on her own. It's been three nights so far and she still cries, whimpers, and howls at regular intervals throughout the night. Thankfully, she sleeps inbetween each outburst, so we manage to catch 40 winks before the next puppy crisis. Amy, nine years ago, was a silent sleeper withing 3 days. I don't think that will be the case with Sophia. However, Sophia hasn't created a pee pee puddle in the house yet, and Amy used to dribble constantly. She was like a little leaking urine factory. Sophia already seems to know that the outdoors is where pee belongs. Let's hope she continues on that path.
Otherwise, all is well. May 19 New Scuba VideoI recorded these scenes during our recent Mexican Riviera cruise on the Diamond Princess. I used my Sony Handycam HC42 inside an Ikelite underwater camera housing. Somtimes the streaming quality isn't very good for these embedded videos, so you can also go straight to YouTube by clicking here.
Welcome Princess SophiaShe has arrived! Sophia Rose, the newest member of our family, arrived last night at 6:30pm. Amy remains unconvinced that Sophia's arrival is a good thing.
Sophia slept alone in her crate for the first time last night. She was about as impressed with the crate as Amy is with her. During the night, Sophia would periodically wake up and start to howl. Gene would talk to her and his voice easily calmed her down within a few seconds. She would drift off to sleep then awaken alone an hour later and the howling would start again. Needless to say, we humans didn't rest very well last night - and neither did the dogs. It's all part of the adjustment process.
This morning, Sophia has lots of energy. She gallops through the house periodically the little thumping sound of little paws. She is also chewing on every magazine and paper that's within reach. We are trying to direct all that chewy energy toward a couple toys or fingers.
Thankfully, no accidents in the house so far. She has had 3 good pee sessions outside, and a couple good poops too. These are important events for puppies. We heap on the praise/petting when she goes to the bathroom outside, and Amy has been a good role model.
For breakfast, Sophia thought Amy's food looked much more yummy than her own - but when she approached, a deep growl from Amy led Sophie to an immediate retreat next to my feet. I picked her and redirected our little pup back to her own bowl. Wow! She ate it all, very quickly - just like every other pig...I mean schnauzer. I must say, Sophia is a tubby little girl. Her pot belly is quite impressive.
Most recently, Amy tried to lay down for a nap on her station in Gene's office. Sophia climbed up to join her, which immediately drove Amy away. Amy seems to think that every little snif from the pup is an assault on her privacy and her person. But, not nips yet. Hopefully they will learn to get along and enjoy each other's company. Our adventure has barely begun. May 15 Is God a Forgiving God?As my personal sense of faith has developed over the last four decades, I have come to the conclusion that God is forgiving without limits. When my time comes, I certainly want to be forgiven for all my faults, sins, and omissions. If God forgives those of us who are sorry for our errors, then certainly he is a perfect loving God. I know my parents easily forgive me when I apologize. I can't imagine that God would be less forgiving than my parents.
Today, I have been thinking about forgivness because of the death of Gerry Fallwell. He is one of the few humans in life that I have truly detested. I have long judged him as a force for evil and intolerance. Now, I wonder what is going on between God and Reverend Fallwell.
I don't think I need to ask for forgiveness for disliking the now deceased founder of the Moral Majority. But I do wonder if he is asking for forgiveness from God right now. Is Saint Peter turning Jerry away, or pulling out the keys to open the pearly gates? It is my hope that Jerry Falwell is comfortably locked in the loving embrace of God right this very minute, even though the infamy of his legacy is long and shocking.
I believe in my heart that millions of people have been harmed by that televangelist that welcomed members of the KKK onto his Old Time Gospel Hour program back in the 60s. Millions more were subjected to public and private rejection when he said AIDS was God's retribution against homosexuals, and hurricane Katrina was God's revenge on New Orleans for its acceptance of gays, and September 11th was something our country "probably deserved" because we tolerate pagans. The list of his shocking statements and sins goes on and on. It is hardly the vita I would hope to have at the end of my career. But still, I hope God will forgive him.
If God will forgive Reverend Falwell, surely he will forgive me when my time has come. And if I want forgiveness, I musn't hope it is withheld from another. Yet, a little devil inside me is dancing right now, envisioning the tortures of hell inflicted on the self-righteous Falwell.
Oh God, forgive me for thinking such nasty thoughts - and enjoying them so! And, please forgive Jerry Falwell too. May 05 Happy Birthday to Me! Wheeee!I turned 42 yesterday, and in celebration Gene and I set out on a little overnight trip. It started with a taxi ride downtown to King Street Station. We boarded the 7:40 train up to Vancouver, BC, Canada. It took about 4 hours and the ride was gorgeous. Easily, half the track mileage runs along Puget Sound. The views are spectacular.
The train pulled into Central Station in Vancouver at 11:45am. We hopped onto the Skytrain to Waterfront station. From there it's a one block walk to the cruise pier at Canada Place. That is when everything came to a sudden halt.
The pier was overwhelmed with passengers - both departing and arriving. Oranization was practically non-existent. The port failed in its responsibility to predict and plan for large crowds on the opening weekend of cruise season.
Compared with most passengers, we arrived early (about 12:05pm). Then we stood in lines for about three hours. That has NEVER happened to us before. There were three cruise ships disembarking and embarking new passengers. Apparently, the Port of Vancouver didn't know how to handle somewhat larger than usual passenger crowds. Add to the lack of coordination a poorly designed terminal and the recipe for disaster had all the right ingredients. Apparently some people had to wait in line up to 5 hours - and all that time, the port authorities never got on a public address system to tell the passengers what was going on - or why the lines didn't move, sometimes for as long as 45 minutes.
Gene and I are pretty easy going people (stop laughing!). In other words we always pack our patience when traveling. But, we have never waited more than 75 minutes to board a ship in any port - not even in notorioulsy disorganized Mexico. When we reached the 2 hour mark, I was no longer able to maintain my patience. Thankfully, I didn't blow up at anyone - I just internalized it all and managed to board the Golden Princess with a headache! What a great birthday present Vancouver gave me.
Sadly, though I started to relax once onboard (after a double martini!) - the ripple effects continued. At departure time, almost 1000 passengers were still waiting to board. So the muster drill and departure were delayed, and subsequently our dinner was delayed, which means we didn't finish in time to see the show we wanted to see. Instead we watched a comedian (he was okay) and then we went to bed exhausted.
I can report the dinner on Golden Princess may have been the best we have ever enjoyed. We skipped the crowds in the dining room and instead went to the quiet atmosphere of the Desert Rose Steakhouse. Our waiter and head waiter were especially wonderful, attentive and charming. Another highlight was the view of Vancouver as the ship sailed under the Lion's Gate bridge - spectacular! The weather was cool but sunny.
This was the first time we every tried an inside cabin. No thanks! I'm not interested in doing that again. It was small, though not cramped. I deplored the lack of sunlight on two beautiful days, as well as the lack of a private and calm outdoor spot. I really needed a private balcony. Instead I had to go hang out with the noisy party folks on the upper decks (these 1 night cruises have a reputation for being boozy).
Still, over all I enjoyed myself once we got on the boat. A highlight for me (besides dinner) was having that previously mentioned double martini up in the elevated Skywalkers nightclub, just before departure. Gene and I found a quiet corner, drank our libations, and enjoyed our conversation along with the expansive view.
Tonight we are going to a soccer game with close friends in the Qwest Field corporate suite. No, I'm not into soccer - but I am into the corporate suite! Then tomorrow, Gene will make my usual birthday dinner of chicken tortilla casserole.
The embarkation fiasco was but a minor bump in my otherwise fantastic life. Happy birthday to me! My husband and my mini-schnauzer are the best present I could ever have. |
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