Our dog, Bubbles, is an intimidating force. She is large. Being part mastiff it was bound to happen. And also being yellow lab, she is a bundle of energy. She loves to play in the water. She fetches. She chases birds. She is funny.
Then of course is our other dog, Drizella. She is so serious. She thinks she is in charge of everything. She doesn't play.
And she hates when Bubbles gets excited.
And sometimes, when Bubbles gets excited, Drizella feels like telling her to shut up.
And then the fight is on.
And Bubbles always loses.
Last time they fought, Bubbles ended up in the hospital. And $600 later, she was as good as new.
Of course, she did have to wear the cone of shame for 3 weeks.
To combat this, we have started crate training Drizella. She has taken to it pretty well. By putting her in the crate, I am in charge, not her.
So far, it's working.
Of course, last week, our old beagle, Elvis, managed to beat up Bubbles a little. He had knocked the grease trap off the barbecue and was happily licking away. And Bubbles tried to get in on it. Elvis only beat her up a little. Bubbles got the heck out of the way in a hurry.
I don't know what I would do without my pets. We currently have three dogs and three cats. We also have a turtle. They have been there through good times and bad. I can't remember having a home without a pet. Even when I lived in a place where dogs and cats were not allowed, I had a cage full of parakeets and a tank full of fish.
We have gotten most of our pets from local animal shelters. Over the years we have loved nine cats. With the exception of the two that we got from Chris and Sherri, all of them have come from shelters. We have loved 4 dogs. Two of those dogs were shelter dogs. We got Gibby from a lady who had puppies because she wanted to breed her chihuahuas and so she didn't have them spayed. Too bad there was a pomeranian mix loose in the neighborhood, who also was not fixed. Elvis is a purebred beagle and we got him from a breeder who was a friend of my mom.
I know that right now, in this economy, it is hard to want to spend your money to give to animals. But I just don't know what I would have done without my Gibby to snuggle when I am sad or Betty to chew my fingers or Muffins (IBK) to hop in bed with me at night.
So here is a way to help. The ASPCA is going to give $100K to an animal shelter in the ASPCA $100K Challenge. First thing you have to do is vote. The 50 animal shelters who receive the most votes between now and April 15, will be eligible to win the $100K, possibly up to $300K with other donations and grants associated with this project. So go to the website, votetosavelives.org, and vote for your favorite shelter or rescue. My town, the neighboring town, and the county animal control are all in the running so far. So remember to vote everyday to make sure your town becomes one of the top 50 qualifiers.
Then, the contest is on. Between August 1 and October 31, it is a race to see how many pets can be saved. Winners will be announced November 30.
How cool is that? All you have to do is vote. That is it. A simple few seconds of your day, everyday until April 15. Easy.
Because without animal shelters, I wouldn't have...
Betty and Muffins (IBK- Itty Bitty Kitty)(She isn't so itty bitty any more though, more like giant and fluffy)
Drizella
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And even though we got Two Face here from Chris and Sherri, we had her fixed at the local shelter. And since we take good care of her, she will not end up in one.
Elvis here was fixed at the animal shelter as well, and when he was sick, they treated him there as well.
And of course Gibby... Who proudly wears his license from the animal shelter and he was microchipped there.
Have you seen that much cuteness? You know you want to save the pets. Do it or I will play this commercial over and over again until you cry yourself to death.
Every time I have a day off, David cooks me breakfast. Today was no exception. He got up and made eggs, pancakes and sausage.
It was so yummy. We all gathered around the table for a nice breakfast. He made a huge stack of pancakes.
Of course, the whole time we were eating, we saw this.
Dogs like pancakes too.
Today we did some serious cleaning and we are making some burritos for dinner. Not a bad way to spend a day. Tomorrow, it's back to work for me. One last week on the day shift before I switch to evenings.
Since the beginning of the year, we have been trying to be a little healthier. I have been keeping up on my Wii Fit. I have been taking vitamins; a multi-vitamin, a calcium, and a vitamin C. I have been trying to get more regular exercise. We have been walking to the park near our house. It’s about 2 miles. The dogs have been really enjoying it. Drizella gets upset if we don’t go. Now if I could just do better with the dieting.
The kids went back to school this week. I was sort of sad to see them go. Since I don’t often have weekends off, it was nice having them home when I am. And Carolynn acts much more like a human being when she doesn’t spend all day with her loser friends.
For those of you who were wondering, our kitten is doing better. Her cold is clearing up and the vet says that was all she had. She will stay on antibiotics for another week or so. She will stay on immune booster for a few months and she will stay on the vitamins for a couple of months. The vet had her records going back to when the shelter got her. She basically spent her whole life there. Anyway, she is doing good. Carolynn may have named her Muffins, but we call her the IBK. Itty Bitty Kitty.
Today I am off. It’s nice when I get days off. Last week I worked two 16 hour days. Tonight we have plans to eat healthy snacks and play Cranium. Tomorrow it’s back to work. I work 6am to 2pm until Saturday, the 8am to 4pm next week. The week after that I work 7:30am to 3:30pm.
I am trying to keep up with this blog. The more I work, the harder it gets. I have a few ideas for some posts in my head and I will try and do better with some Wordless Wednesday or some Thursday 13. Maybe I will try a few new videos. I used to write everyday. Now I go a week or more sometimes. At least I am not the only one who is slacking in blogs lately. (Trisha, Pam… You know who you are.)
Yesterday was a stormy day. It snowed off and on all day. Nothing stuck. The wind howled. The lights flickered. The Christmas lights are now falling off the house. It was so cold. It is still cold. I have to work tonight. It is going to be super cold. I know it. At least the weather is Christmas-y.
I am still having trouble getting in the Christmas spirit. My car is a piece of crap. Seriously. I hate it. If I don’t have to go to work, I am not driving it. Not until I can afford the repairs. Why do cars find the most inappropriate times to break? I still have bills to pay and Christmas presents I want to buy.
Here’s another added stress for you… Drizella has been digging out. She digs out and Gibby goes with her. She knows she is bad. When we catch her she slinks back and won’t come close to us. I don’t know what to do about her. Frankly, she isn’t a very good dog. She doesn’t listen. She steals food. She chews stuff up. She bites. And she digs. What am I supposed to do? If animal control finds her, we will get a big ticket and the added expense. Just what I needed right now…
And one more suck-fest to add to my Bah-Humbug spirit… Knott’s Berry Farm is free for me and the family until the 20th. It’s free for all law enforcement officers. I knew it was coming and we had been looking forward to it. But now, it looks like we won’t be going. Even though it is free to get in, we’d still have to pay for gas, parking, food (you have to get Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner), and maybe a souvenir or two. And with my stupid car being stupid, I wouldn’t try and drive it that far anyway until it is repaired.
Okay, sorry I am such a Scrooge. I am trying not to be. We are thinking about having a New Year’s Eve party. A long time ago, I used to throw a New Year’s Eve party every year. At the time, we had this grouchy neighbor who called the cops on us at about 10:30 PM. Every year. We were never that loud. She was just a Scrooge herself. Then for a long while, I had no one to invite to any sort of party. Now I do. And if my work schedule continues in the way it is, I will have New Year’s Eve off. So keep a look out for party e-vites. (They are cheap.)
Here is some more good news… Yesterday I talked to my friend Paula. I had not talked to her for a couple of years. She moved and lost her job and I lost contact. But thanks to Facebook (again) she found me again and we talked last night. She is going through some rough times too, but like me she is working through it. Her husband is having trouble finding a job right now. I suggested he apply where I work. At least it is something.
Well, I guess that is it. I have to get ready for work soon. I will take my Scrooge attitude to prison. I am sure the inmates will enjoy.
