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Isn't it interesting how perceptions vary? If you'd asked me, I'd have said I rarely go anywhere or do anything. Some friends stopped by the other day and mentioned they rarely see my car parked by the house, that I'm never home.So I got to thinking about it and realized it's true! The reason we're six months behind watching the shows we've taped (still in the VHS dark ages) is because nobody's ever home to watch them. Between work, two nights a week of training, trials, and actually fitting in some socializing - this middle-aged spinster is lucky enough to be constantly busy.And the next month looks terrifyingly packed! I'm looking forward to all of it, but the schedule's jammed. I leave for the Frenchie Jamboree next week, followed by an agility trial the weekend I get home, we're getting ready to move the business, and our club's Obedience Trial is right after that. I'm lucky I remembered to squash a haircut in there.While it's absolutely true that life hasn't turned out the way I expected it to when I was a teenager, I think I'm doing a fairly good job of making lemonade and enjoying every drop.
Do I or don't I? Sign up for the next 8-week session of Agility Classes, that is... Ceilidh is never going to compete, given her heart condition. She can never get too close to other dogs, given her tendency to snark at anything on four legs. I'll always have to keep her away from people who don't know what to expect when they lean in for a greeting (many sloppy Boston Terrier kisses on the face). I'm going to have to think up new and creative ways of holding her interest when it's not our turn (otherwise she goes sniffing and picks up any piece of lint on the mat). And I'll be playing with varying degrees of pain (hip bursitis is nothing if not persistent). But ... Ceilidh loves Agility class so much. And there are lots of people who appreciate Ceilidh for herself and gladly accept those wet kisses. So, I'll sign up for next session. And try to remember the Alleve.
Dog people are the best! Since Dax is recuperating and resting, Ceilidh and I went to our Agility Class by ourselves last night. Everyone asked how Dax was doing. Thankfully, she's feeling better and I was able to share that with our classmates. The little brown "bowling ball" was definitely missed! And she missed out on some good work on rear crosses! I think I may have the idea - the rear cross is something that has eluded me for as long as I've been taking classes! We'll keep practicing, because it certainly doesn't come naturally!
I guess we can't rest on our laurels forever. It sure was fun to bask for a while, though! Last night we went to an Agility Fun Match. It's a full-size agility course and you're timed while on the course, but you can do whatever you want instead of adhering to a pre-determined pattern or map. It's great practise for trials - same venue, no pressure.I decided to work on speed with Dax. I'm told that the faster I am, the more interesting I am to her, and the faster she'll go. So I ran like a crazy lady - no fancy handling attempts, nice easy loops around the obstacles. And they were right - Dax was "flaps (ears) down - full throttle" girl.Until we got home. I sat down and Dax tried to jump into my lap, as she does every single time I sit. Fran said it looked like she just stopped in mid-air and fell down. Turns out she probably pinched a nerve in her neck and is on crate-rest for a week.The juxtaposition convinces me that fate has a sense of humor. Not a good one, but it's there.
Friday is Hope's day off and it's my opportunity to post to the blog, but how can I top Hope's post? Easy - I can't. So, let's just bask for a bit! Last night at Agility class our instructor made a point of telling our classmates who weren't at the trial last weekend that Hope and Dax had their first qualifying run with a perfect score! Big cheers all around!
Judge Ann Riba was kind enough to pose for a picture with Dax and me (right). Our very first qualifying run!
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