Emma-dawg

Nothing new to note tonight, since I'm in the middle of a five-day stretch at the pharmacy. So I thought I'd stop by with a recent picture of Emma, who seems confused about whether sleeping on the couch is appropriate or not. (For the record, it is INappropriate!)

The Tenth Circle

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, and The Tenth Circle is my favorite of her many novels. So I was excited when I heard that Lifetime was making a movie of the book, although there is always the concern that the filmmakers will completely slaughter the material.

It seems that the latter is the case for this particular offering. It's hard for me to consider the movie by itself, because I love the book so much. So this review is a little biased in that respect, because my biggest issue with the movie was that it left out some of what I thought were the most important parts of the book.

The plot of the book and movie is pretty simple. A boy breaks up with his high school girlfriend. In an effort to get him back, the girl tries to make him jealous at a party. They end up having sex. The girl says he raped her. The boy says she asked for it. Then the boy ends up dead. Sounds simple, right? Well, in the movie it is. Everything moves along quickly with minimal emotion, and all the loose ends are knotted up by the end. The book is a bit more convoluted. There are twists and turns, an escape to Alaska, adultery, lies, heartwrenching emotions, and my favorite part, a graphic novel written into the book. The book does not end neatly. It's much more realistic, and leaves the reader hanging, much like real life would be.

The location of the movie was perfect, exactly how it should have been. I also enjoyed the performances of all the actors. The girl who plays Trixie is exactly how I imagined her, except without red hair. And Kelly Preston, who I've never especially loved, did a great job as the mother. All in all, if you have some time to waste watching a well made but not very involved movie, then watch The Tenth Circle on Lifetime. (I'm sure it'll be aired many more times, since it was heavily promoted.) If you want to get sucked into a story and not be able to get away from it, pick up the book. As is so often the case, the book is so much better than the movie!

Nature

The past few days have been absolutely lovely at camp. Bright and sunny, and the water is so clear. At least until the puppies start tearing around the shore!

The view from the green camp's deck. It's better in real life.

The Mothership and I also found this when we were on the deck - a bird built it on a branch hanging over the door.

Then we visited the red camp and found some tiny baby robins.


The click of my camera must have reminded them of their mother, because they popped right up looking for food.


Not really a nature picture, but I couldn't help taking it because the people being towed are riding one of those banana inflatables that are nearly impossible to stay on. I was impressed!

Izzy, Emma, and Sarah Take a Mini-Vacation

Today was such a beautiful day. It was sunny, and warm, and dry, and gorgeous. What better day to go camp? I can't think of one, unless it's all of the above combined with a heat wave. (I seriously hope that doesn't happen!) Anyhow, I mentioned to the Grandmother that camp might be nice to visit today, turned around and saw Izzy and Emma perked right up at the word "camp." Very cute.

"Please, please, please can we go to camp???"

So, being the good dog-mother that I am, of course we went to camp! When we arrived, the girls didn't even stop to greet the Mothership...they ran straight down the stairs to jump in the lake.

"Emma, wait for me!"

We decided to test out the new Bubba Kong for Water that we bought at PetCo last week. I have to say it works great. Izzy can grab onto it while she's swimming, and she chases it every time.

BubbaKong is almost as big as Izzy's head. I think it helps her float, though.

Emma on the other hand, is content to wait on the shore until Izzy gets back to where she can walk in.

I guess if someone else was willing to fetch things for me, I'd sit back and let them, too!

Then she pounces and tries to get BubbaKong away from poor Izzy, who had to do all the work. Cheater!

"Get away from me Emma, I swam halfway across the lake for this!"

And that was our day at camp. Nothing too exciting happened, except Emma trying to roll on a dead fish, but I am ecstatic to say that she has learned "leave it" and walked away when I told her too. I'm so proud! (Puppy kindergarten really did work!)

"Gee, that was fun, think we can convince her to bring us back everyday?"

Hawaii Diet

Apparently my recent mention of my Hawaii diet has intrigued/confused some people. So I will elaborate. The Hawaii diet is not a diet plan. It is merely an incentive for me to stay on track. I am making myself lose weight because I am going to Hawaii in November and I want to be able to learn to surf. My balance is poor at the best of times, so I figure the more weight I lose, the easier it will be for me to surf. Plus, I won't be quite so self-concious on the beach!

So far the Hawaii diet seems to be working...I'm actually doing Points on Weight Watchers, but now I have a real reason to follow it to the letter, with no cheating! I'd advise everyone to find a "diet" that inspires them! (I actually was inspired to start my Hawaii diet when my friend Courtney noted that she was dieting in preparation to go to Aruba...she did the Aruba diet, I'm doing the Hawaii diet.)

Chillin at the Farm

After Izzy's vet visit today, we decided to stop by the farm to check out the Fathership's new fields of grapes. While we didn't see much grape action, as the little plants had just poked up through the dirt, our visit did give us plenty of opportunity for photos:

Okay, done looking at the vinyard, onto some fun!

Emma and Izzy checking out the garden...aren't the Stella D'Oro gorgeous this year? Must be all the rain this spring!

Emma decided that the grass was perfect for rolling.

Izzy, diagnosed with dehydration just a few hours earlier, perked right up at the thought of rolling in something smelly!

Woody seemed to be the only one able to maintain a sour attitude throughout the day.

Izzy and Emma had a hard time staying out of trouble (i.e. not eating things the vet would be sure to yell at Sarah for!)

When the girls were called away from their stick, the perfect photo op presented itself!

And now it's time for bed, since all the frolicking at the farm has tired us out!

Review: TeaTree Mint Shampoo by Organix

I have a confession to make. I really, really, really like to buy shampoos and conditioners. I don't know why, all I know is I have a linen closet full of hair products that I've tried and disliked, and I have a basket full of the brands that I know and love. So why do I keep buying more? Clearly my citalopram isn't doing the job when it comes to compulsive shopping.

A few days ago I was in Walgreens waiting for my mother to pick something up, so I headed over to the health and beauty department. There are so many things to buy there from sunblock and sunless tanner to nail polish and mascara, that I felt a little overwhelmed. And then I came across the specialty shampoos. There was vanilla and coconut, chamomile and lavendar, and raspberry truffle. It was hard to choose from the plethora of shampoos. I narrowed it down to the carrot shampoo and the hydrating teatree mint. In the end the teatree mint won out, because really, who can pass up having hair that smells like a peppermint patty? Okay, maybe you can, but I didn't have the willpower. Plus it was supposed to be hydrating, which I desperately need since the highlight fiasco.

So I scooped up the shampoo and conditioner, at $6.99 (I know, frivolous), brought it home, and promptly forgot about it. Until this morning, when I stumbled across it looking for a towel. I quickly jumped in the shower, hoping for the best, as I've had many shampoo misfortunes. I sqeezed the minty concoction out, and was a bit suprised. It was the consistency of JELLO. Very weird. It took at while to get the suds action going, but apparently I managed, because it stripped my hair of every oil molecule. Okay, moving on to the conditioner, I thought. But my hair was so clean that I could barely get the conditioner through it. I have very snarly hair, for those of you not in the know. But I persevered, and finished my routine. I'll admit, I was a little afraid to comb my hair out, because it felt so dry getting out of the shower, so I left it wrapped up in a towel for a little while.

Finally, I worked up the courage, and to my delight, it wasn't too hard to comb through. Once my hair dried, it was really soft and smooth, although it feels very fine, which is strange. My hair normally feels like straw. So I don't really know how I feel about my latest foray into the world of hair care products. I'll have to use it for a few more days, and let you know. One thing though, I did get two compliments on my hair from random strangers today, and my mother said it was looking particularly bright and shiny. So maybe it's worth a try!


***UPDATE*** So after a few days of using my minty shampoo and conditioner, I had to switch back to one of my old standards because my hair was becoming increasingly snarly. Those of you with long hair know what I mean...when your hair gets brushed out and then half an hour later you can't run your fingers all the way through it. Since my hair is my best asset, this presented a problem. So my final recommendation: use this as a clarifying treatment once a week, or daily if you have greasy or short hair.

Henry's Big Adventure

Tonight, I proved what a bad cat- and dog-mother I am. Not only did Izzy and Emma escape, but Henry was apparently outside for about two hours! It seems that after I took the girls out to "go potty", I must have left the door open, because about 15 minutes later I looked outside, and they were both chilling on the deck right outside the (open) screen door. I called them back inside with no incident, and thought all was well. But then at bedtime, I went to take Woody outside, and there was Henry lounging on the deck where the girls had been. He must have escaped when the door was first open, and been outside for hours! I feel so guilty! Of course, he most likely never made it off the deck, being a bit of a loaf, but still. He escaped! And I didn't notice! He could have been catnapped! I'm horrible!

Book Review: Mademoiselle Boleyn

I purchased Mademoiselle Boleyn, by Robin Maxwell, back in December as a Christmas gift for the Mothership, who enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, and all the books that followed. Because this book looked similar in style, I figured she would enjoy it, and then I could borrow it. Well, the Mothership arrived at my house the other day with a bagful of books that I had given her, and I had my pick of what I wanted to read! This one had the prettiest cover, and I dug right in.

Mademoiselle Boleyn turned out to be another impeccably researched historical novel, and one that I think I place above all others regarding Anne Boleyn, because it comes from her point of view, and thus, is a little more charitable in it's opinions than some. The storyline starts when Anne is very young and at court in the Netherlands. Later, she is sent to court in France with her older sister Mary, who is ordered by her parents to seduce the French King Francois I. Later, Mary returns to England and is married to William Carey, and once again ordered by her family to seduce a King, this time Henry VIII. The book ends with Anne returning to her family in England, as England prepares to go to war with France.

I truly enjoyed this book, as I thought it was amazingly researched and well written, and as I mentioned previously, makes Anne Boleyn appear to be observant and quick witted, but never ruthless and cruel as so many portray her. I have a very hard time believing that Anne Boleyn could have been so terrible when her daughter grew up to be quite a sucessful Queen of England. Of all the books about Henry and his wives, I think this one would be the first I would recommend, as I loved watching Anne grow from a smart little girl into a very able young woman, despite her scheming family. And to put it to my most important test, I would definitely reread this one, probably soon!

Book Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory, has been in my library since I read The Queen's Fool, which turned out to be a sequel to this book. I'm pretty sure I finished that one back while I was supposed to be studying for my pharmacy boards, and looking for any reason not too. I enjoyed The Queen's Fool thoroughly, mainly because it was about Queen Elizabeth I, which is a topic I love, but also because it was well written.

The Other Boleyn Girl was just as well written, but with much smaller font. I found that I couldn't speed read through this like I do with most books, because there are so many important characters and if you miss one conversation, or even one line, you can very quickly become lost. The high possibility for confusion would normally be a detriment to a book, at least for me, but I can't really fault the author for this. Everyone in the book was a real person, and all are necessary for the story line, so it would have been impossible to leave them out, even for the sake of the reader.

The story itself is engrossing, mainly because you feel as though you are moving in the inner circles of Henry VIII's court, seeing everything thing through Mary Boleyn's eyes, from her rise and fall as the King's mistress, to the rise and fall of her sister Anne, who became Queen of England. Every detail is there, from how they lived with lice and fleas, to what the ladies-in-waiting wore, and what the court had for dinner. I loved this aspect of the book, and didn't want to put it down.

My only complaint with The Other Boleyn Girl is that Anne Boleyn was painted as quite scheming and evil, whereas Mary Boleyn is the "good" sister, who only does bad things because her family orders her to. I won't go into detail because I'm recommending this book as an awesome read. But I have always been a bit partial to Anne, and have always thought that she was unjustly accused of many crimes, and suffered very harsh punishments. I suppose that she is painted so blackly because when her history was first written, no one wanted to cross the King by saying she had been unjustly treated. Much like many people in history. Regardless of my own personal thoughts on Anne, this book is definitely worth checking out. It kept me reading for two nights, which really says something, as most books I can finish in a matter of hours. I'll be rereading it most certainly, which is the highest praise I can bestow on a book!

The Girls Graduate!!!

Yes, that's right, Izzy and Emma both graduated from Puppy Kindergarten, although I think it was more due to the fact that you really can't fail out of Puppy Kindergarten than any skills on my part. The day started out well, with various ups and downs to follow:

Emma and Izzy were in their Gentle Leaders, focused, and ready to go.

Once inside, however, Emma began to lose focus:

Abby lectured Emma to get her act together, but Emma continued to writhe on the floor, complaining of a headache:

Many tests were administered, including sit, down, stay, and puppy pushups. Fortunately no pictures survived to illustrate our poor performance, other than Izzy being lectured with a peanut butter spoon:

Graduation ceremonies soon commenced. Abby and Velvet both received their diplomas, with Izzy and Emma nervously hoping they had made the grade as well...

Phew...Emma's name was finally called, and she ran forward to get her Puppy Kindergarten diploma, leaving her sister behind...

But wait! Izzy's name was finally called, last, but not least, and she proudly sat to receive her diploma, after 6 long weeks of hard work and many treats:

And so, Puppy Kindergarten ended. We are all very sad, and can't wait until we enroll in another round of classes, as everyone has much to learn, and it was great fun to meet so many new dogs and people!

Izzy, Emma, and Sarah would also like to thank the Mothership, who spent six Thursdays attempting to be strict with her granddogs, as well as countless hours practicing...we all love you!

Book Review: Last Dance at Jitterbug Lounge

I'll be honest, lately I haven't had much time for what used to be my favorite hobby: reading. Yet I still buy a bunch of books every week, because I have no willpower. Because of this, I have literally an attic full of books, as well as a bookshelf full in both my upstairs hallway and my living room. So when I suddenly felt the urge to indulge in a good book, I had an ample selection.

This week's choice turned out to be Last Dance at Jitterbug Lounge, by Pamela Morsi. I'll be honest, I picked this book out because of the cover, and the description on the back. The book follows two stories, one being the present day romance of a husband and wife, Jack and Claire, who seem on the verge of divorce when Jack's grandfather has a stroke, and they must return to Jack's hometown to take care of him. The second story is that of Jack's grandfather, Bud and his wife, back in the 1940's during WWII. The chapters switch from one storyline to the other, and it keeps things interesting.

I think the reason I enjoyed this book so much was that it's an easy read, like a romance novel, but the writing is a little more developed than your average cheesy romance novel. The story is heartbreaking, as Jack tries to understand his grandfather's life by piecing together stories from all his relatives, and also because Bud's story is told through flashbacks to the war, leaving his wife, and how he suffered after returning home. My only complaint is that the ending seemed rather abrupt...I felt like my copy was missing a chapter. All in all, it was definitely worth reading, and I'll probably read it again.

McDonalds Sweet Tea

Since my latest medical malady (a kidney stone) I have sworn off all beverages that have phosphoric acid in them, which means pretty much any soda that I like (which is Diet Pepsi and it's many variations) is suddenly off limits. It is agony. You see, I am not a morning person, and I generally require a little caffeine in order to interact with my patients in a pleasant manner. And I hate coffee. Which leaves me with tea. So imagine my excitement when McDonalds came out with their new Sweet Tea! I resolved at once to try this, as my keystone tech, who hails from the glorious state of Texas, is well studied in the subject of sweet tea, and appreciated what McDonalds had brought to the table.

Now, when I saw McDonalds advertising the sweet tea at only $1 for a large, I figured the large size would be similar to the large you get when you order an orange juice there. In other words, more like a small. So I was suprised and delighted when a large turned out to be quite large and refreshing. It was truly delightful, nice and sweet and chilled it it's foam cup. I wish I could drink sweet tea every day! Alas, the one downfall of the sweet tea is that it is, well, sweet. 230 calories of sweet, with no fiber or fat, so it comes in at 5 Points if you're on Weight Watchers. Needless to say, I'm not sure I'll be enjoying much sweet tea on my Hawaii diet. Then again, I do get 35 Points every week to spend on whatever I want. That's one sweet tea every day! Oh, yeah!

Merry-Go-Round Playhouse: All Shook Up

Tonight was the Mothership's and my first Merry-Go-Round Playhouse show of the season, and I have to say, it is off to an amazing start...All Shook Up is one of the best shows I have ever seen...let me think about that...it is the best show I've ever seen. I'm really sorry that we saw it so late in it's run, because I would really like to go see All Shook Up again!

I have to say, I was hesitant about this show, as I've never been a huge Elvis fan, or at least I thought. The show was hilarious, a take on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and I enjoyed that in itself thoroughly. Every song was an Elvis song, and I have to say, some of them surprised me, as I had no idea they were his.

The performers were all great singers and dancers, and played up their characters to the hilt. Definitely worth going to if you can get a ticket. Sadly, there are only a few days left of this show's run, and I have to work or go to Puppy Kindergarten for all of them.

I just hope the rest of the season can at least equal this show!

Another Awesome Blog

Since I've been very busy training some overly exuberant lab puppies so they don't embarrass me at our weekly puppy kindergarten classes, I've been a little remiss in my (self-appointed) blogging duties.

But tonight I'm totally going to make up for that, and introduce you to another of my favorite blogs! This one is B-Side Blog and is more for the general population than my last choice, the DrugMonkey, is.

A few years ago, I was introduced to the wonders of B-Side at TVGasm, a site devoted to recapping many of my favorite cheesy shows. It was started by B-Side and his co-blogger J-Unit. Sadly, both eventually left the site, and took all it's fabulousness with it. But recently, I happened across his new blog, which is not just about television, and even better! So go visit it in all it's awesomeness!

On a somewhat related note, but kind of not really, I probably will have few to no updates this week, since puppy kindergarten graduation is coming up, and I don't want to fail all of our final exams. Since "sit" and"down" seem to be hard for Izzy, and Emma refuses to "stay" at all, I think I have my work cut out for me. Wish me luck!

Hawaii anyone?

Okay, so I know I wasn't planning on blogging at all this week because I'm preparing for puppy kindergarten finals week, but I'm totally posting something else, because I just have to share my excitement. Target is opening up three, yes, three new stores in Hawaii, and I think I'm going to apply for one of them. They currently have six openings for pharmacists on the Big Island, and I am determined to be one of those six!

Now, I can't imagine not being able to get my license to practice there, since the requirements are pretty straighforward, and I'm allowed to reciprocate from New York to Hawaii. The only hitch in the whole move would be trying to get Izzy, Emma, Henry, and Ruthie over there. Not only would it be a stressful trip for the babies, they would be stuck in quarantine anywhere from five to 120 days! I'm going to have to confer with the vet on this one.

Other than that, I'm ready to go. Right now, I'm thinking I'll keep my house here, since I only want to leave for a few years, so I'll probably rent it out, and rent myself a house in Hawaii. Don't worry, I'm totally going to get a three bedroom house, so everyone can come visit. Aloha Hawaii!!!

Blog Avoidance

So I probably won't be blogging at all this week, since we are fast approaching our graduation day at puppy kindergarten, and still having some trouble with the basics. Luckily our instructor is having an extra class for another puppy who couldn't make it tonight, and invited everyone to join her. So we're going to get a little extra practice in!

Tonight went pretty well. The girls did well with "stay" and "come" in their tests, but "sit, stay" and "down, stay" proved troublesome for both. New tricks tonight were "leave it" and a long stay. Both did great! And as our last bit of fun, we had a parade around the store to practice leave it. Emma did exceptionally well, watching the Mothership the entire time. Izzy was a little distracted, but did okay.

And to finish off the evening, the girls got to have some playtime with their new poodle-friend Abby, who has improved so much since day 1, it's hard to believe. She was a bit of a barker in the beginning, and she's awesome now. The Mothership is now working with Woody on barking, but he's a tougher case that little Abby, I guess.

"See, Emma, socialization is great!!!"

So everyone have a great weekend, and I'll probably be back sometime late next week (maybe sooner) with tons of picks of the graduates!!!

The Handbag from Hell

Several months ago I found a cute springy little handbag super cheap at Penneys. I loved it because it was colorful and reminded me of my favorite Coach bag that I don't tend to carry because it gets too full of crap and I have to find a shopping cart while out to carry it in. Anyhow, a few weeks ago I rediscovered the cute bag just chillin' in my purse closet, and decided to use it. I soon discovered a few things about myself:

1. It is apparently not the size of my handbag that predisposes me to clutter. Give me any size at all and I can wedge just about anything in it.
2. I am a pack rat. There are things in my bag that I don't need, won't ever need, and have never needed.
3. While weighing less, my small handbag is much more inconvienient, as I am forced to remove all items from said bag every time I need something like a cell phone, keys, or money to purchase something else to shove in the bag.

As the grandmother and I were preparing to leave for lunch today, I decided I couldn't take the chaos anymore, and was forced to dump the contents of my bag, right then and there, on the kitchen table. Here is what I found:

My grandmother was quite dismayed, mainly because it meant temporarily postponing her club sandwich and side salad at Denny's. But I was adamant. It needed to be done immediately, otherwise how was I to even remove money to pay for our lunch? In case your vision isn't quite as keen as my own, here are the contents that my grandmother kindly itemized for me during the organization process.

1. $136 in cash, rolling around amongst the other contents of the purse.
2. 3 hair clips of different sizes and colors.
3. Glasses.
4. 2 pairs of sunglasses.
5. One earpiece from broken pair of sunglasses. (I'm pretty sure it was from my favorite pair that have strangely gone missing.)
   
6. One slightly cracked Motorola Krzr.
7. 2 packages of gum - BerryMint Orbit, and Winterfresh.
8. Car keys.
9. Kodak digital camera.
   
10. Pharmacy keys.
11. 5 hairbands.
12. 2 strawberry Chapsticks, 1 vanilla SoftLips, and 1 generic Aldi's brand watermelon lip balm.
13. 3 voided checks.
14. Wallet, with card holder/picture keeper somehow no longer attached.
    
15. A Panasonic handheld camcorder.
16. Albuterol inhaler, so I don't die.
17. Target brand Zyrtec.
18. 3 pens.
19. Mead weekly/monthly planner.
    
20. $3.19 in loose change.
21. 37 receipts from various retail establishments.
    

I am mildly appalled with myself. The grandmother is completely appalled with me. I am resolving to do better in the future. Or invest in a tote bag to carry all the crap around while maintaining a lighter load in my purse.

PS...Payment for our lunch at Denny's was painless...I didn't even have to pull my wallet out of the purse to get money out. It was delightful!!!

A Page for Woody

I decided Woody was probably feeling a bit left out from all the scrapbooking fun, so I decided to whip up a quick page for him:

All papers, alphas and elements from "WF Elements"

Emma and Izzy Make a New Friend

Part of our homework for puppy school this week was walking nicely on a leash, and socializing with other dogs and people. Because there are no dog parks in Auburn (Wegmans, I know you got my email about sponsoring one here, like Liverpool's Good Dog Park), I have to make do with taking the girls on long walks and hoping that people and dogs will interact with them. Today we decided to go to Hoopes Park, which went really well. We met several people on the way, who all wanted to pet Emma and Izzy, and I think Emma is getting a little better about not running away from strangers...it's funny, if Emma was my child, I would want to reward that kind of behavior, and instead I'm trying to break my poor puppy of it! Anyhow, once we got to the park we met some geese and ducks that didn't really want to socialize with us. It didn't seem to hurt either Emma's or Izzy's feelings to be so brutally rebuffed, and I was secretly relieved that there was no goose pate on the menu! Then we came across Riley, an 80-pound Golden Retriever, who was also wearing a Gentle Leader and was remarkably well behaved, except when his mother looked the other way and he went flying into the pond to "retrieve" a duck. I think the girls were mildly terrified at first, but they quickly "shook hands" (or in human terms, sniffed each other's butts) and then proceeded to frolic. Very cute. And now I feel no guilt, as we have completed all of our puppy kindergarten assignments for the week!

Izzy's Illness

Finally, we have some news about poor Izzy...after about a week of her peeing in her crate at night with no warning, and then starting to urinate around the house randomly as well, I happened to mention the problem to the vet. She asked for a urine sample, which turned out to be an interesting experience for both me and Izzy, but more on that another time. Kelly, one of our awesome vet techs, did a urinalysis, and it turns out that Izzy has white blood cells in her urine. For right now, she's been put on Clavamox (Augmentin for animals), and her urine sample has been sent off to Cornell to be cultured. And there I was, scolding her when I caught her peeing in the living room...I feel so bad, because it turns out she's not badly behaved, she's just sick! I hope that once she's better, her "mistakes" won't have become ingrained in her, and she'll be a nice, housetrained puppy once more!

Puppy Kindergarten Update

Well, last Thursday was the girls' second day of classes. They did pretty well at sitting, and walking on a loose lead, and they are flat out awesome at "watch me." Of course, if I got a treat every time someone said "watch me" I'd never take my eyes off them!
So class is going fairly well, except this week we are learing "stay" and "down." Now, I've got "down"okay, it's pretty simple. But "stay" is really not going well at all. I think we're going to have a problem with it. I think I need to quit my job and focus on turning my babies into model Canine Good Citizens! Anyhow, class was fun, as always, and it wiped poor Izzy and Emma right out:I just love when they flop on top of each other. Maybe I'm biased, but I think I have four of the best looking creatures out there! I mean, Ruthie is the prettiest cat EVER, Henry is so handsome, Izzy is adorable...and when I walk Emma, people actually pull over in their cars to ask about her, like she's some kind of purebred or something. Little do they know she's a labrador/border collie mix straight out of Hades! That's all for now, I have to rest up for an early morning training session, so everyone have a great night!

It Might Have Been the Soda...

Well, today was a very exciting day! The puppies woke me up at 5:30 am, like always, and then after a pee stop and a short walk around the block, we all went back to bed until 7, when breakfast is served. So I fed the cats and dogs, and was sitting at the computer checking my email and enjoying a tasty strawberry SlimFast, when I got the most horrible pain in my right side ever! I thought for sure my appendix had burst! Then I developed nausea and a fever, alternating with chills, and the pain wouldn't go away. When I started throwing up and realized I couldn't go to the bathroom, I decided I must have a UTI or appendicitis, so I took myself to the ED.
Once I got there, the doctor interviewed me for about 2 minutes and announced that I most likely had a kidney stone. A kidney stone!!! I'm only 26!!! But apparently I looked pretty bad, because they insisted on giving me IV fluids because my blood pressure was so low, and because, according to the doctor, I looked "awfully white." It took 4 nurses and 8 tries to get an IV in me because I was so dehydrated! My arms are all black and blue. Shortly after they got the IV in me and gave me some wonderful drugs, the pain disappeared completely. But they sent me to radiology anyhow for a cat scan, and the radiologist announced that yes, I had passed a kidney stone, and even better news, there is one in my other kidney! I really can't believe it.
So I did some research and it turns out that soda drinkers are more prone to kidney stones. So I am ending my diet Pepsi addiction right now. No more soda, I'm going on straight water. I know, I have little willpower, so you all have to help me. If you see me with a diet Pepsi in my hand, feel free to slap me!
Really, this whole hospital thing is getting out of hand. In my entire life, I had never been to the hospital once, and now I've been twice since January! Everyone there is really nice, but truly, I'd prefer to never see any of them ever again!