Weights and measures

A customer and I were talking in the shop today and he was reminiscing about some trouble he'd gotten into several years before. I don't know exactly what it was, but I got the definite impression he'd gone on an "enforced vacation." And then he looked at me and said "Please don't judge me by what I did when I was young and stupid."
And I told him that my yardstick for measuring people is how they treat their dogs. I hadn't really thought about my answer before it came out, but I've decided I like it.

What a weekend!

If I were the type to get teary, yesterday I would have. My obedience club honored me with the AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award. It was a total shock - I'm sure I gobbled like a turkey!

The occasion was our annual club picnic. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day - great weather, wonderful food, a chance to get together with our two- and four-legged friends. We always hand out the Club and Class awards at the picnic, so I got my camera ready for the awards presentations. I knew something was up when Fran took the camera away from me, then Mary Ann started reading this speech about the award and how this person deserved it for all the things she does for the club. At some point I realized she was talking about me!

I was touched and honored. Thank you to the AKC and the North Shore Dog Training Club.

I'd like to thank.....

Johann for awarding us the Blogging Star!

Dax the Huntress

Ceilidh and I had an uneventful evening at Agility class last night: we drove to class in Rush Hour traffic (honestly, when is it not?); played with our beloved Latex Soccer Ball while we waited for the Beginning class to finish; warmed up a little; TUGGED on the Latex Soccer Ball before our first run (tugging - yeah!!) which, by the way, was spectacular!; practiced our spins, touches, give paw, dance, lie down, etc., etc., etc., while we waited and waited and waited for the other dogs; Ceilidh no longer interested in Latex Soccer Ball, just want treats and so did only mediocre on the second course. And then drove home in the much faster traffic.

Ceilidh crashed on the couch and I started to unwind. We had to wait for quite a while last night - lots of weave poles and consequently lots of restarts - and Ceilidh requires a lot of attention to help her maintain at least some focus and not try to eat all the spots off the floor at class. All this as a preface to: DAX the Mighty Huntress!

All of a sudden Dax leapt off the chair and stood quivering in front of a cushion, staring at it intently. We picked it up and there was one of the creepiest, crawliest, biggest, ugliest bugs I've ever seen. EEWWWWWWW!!!! A few tissues and a hard-soled shoe later, it was gone. But Dax found it!! What a good girl.

Boston Fresh Roasted Terrier

Ceilidh loves basking, too!

Fresh baked French Bulldog

Dax loves lying in the sun.

Great place to meet guys!

Take notes, all you single young ladies wishing to meet Mr. Right! I found the perfect hunting ground!

Last Friday I went to the Cubs game. Because I love the Cubs, baseball, Wrigley Field, it was my day off, and what the heck!

As it turns out, not a great day to watch Cubs baseball.

But a great day to watch people. A significant proportion of people at Wrigley Field are on the move at all times. It may be true of other stadia, but Wrigley is the only one I know for sure.

The seat in front of me was occupied by a pretty young woman, all by herself. Three different guys struck up conversations with her. In the row in front of that, two young women found two young men.

I'd recommend to women in the market - to to a ball game! Go by yourself, or with one girlfriend. Connections were being made all over.

Except on the field. The Cubs lost miserably.