Odds

The coin is in the air. 70% chance of heads; 30% chance of tails. The coin flips as it makes its trip through the air. Time is almost standing still in anticipation. It will land sometime between tomorrow and August 2 and then I will know: heads I'm healthy; tails I have breast cancer. 

May 18 I had a routine mammogram. 

Confession: I should have had this mammogram back in November. But I was busy. And I was stressed to the max under a burden of volunteer work. And the weather was terrible. And the days were short. And while mammograms are hardly invasive, scary, painful, challenging, nerve-wracking, and there is really no excuse, it's not like it's a barrel of laughs getting your girls squeeze and why bother getting it done on the first possible day when I've been poked and prodded through numerous orifices looking for signs of cancer that have never had so much as a hint of finding anything. Why did I make excuses?

A routine mammogram just like every other routine mammogram I have ever had. And there have been numerous. No big deal. A couple of weeks later, I get a phone call telling me I need to come back for more screening. The appointment is set for July 9. The timing works perfectly. The busy softball season wraps July 8. July 9, for our family, summer can officially being. 

I've been recalled after a mammogram before and I'm pretty confident. I have dense breasts and sometimes it's hard to see stuff. So I go back to the clinic and get my girls squeezed a second time. Big deal. 

They took 2 different kinds of images: each girl had its own problems. That should have been my first clue. I completely missed it. When the technician came back, she gave me the good news first: everything on the left was clear. Then came the news I wasn't expecting: the right side needed further investigation. 

The technician was ever so lovely and reassuring. You have microcalcifications. They are common. Normal, even. Especially for women as they get older. Nothing to worry about. Perfectly benign. But. If there was a 98% chance of good news, they'd send me home with an All Clear. But once the numbers dip to 95% chance then they just want to exercise an abundance of caution and do a core biopsy. Totally routine. Pretty much painless. Not invasive. Nothing to worry about. Just to be sure. Please come back August 9. The day before our family heads into the mountains for 3 days of hiking and backcountry camping. Not the best timing, but not the worst either. Not that I told them all that. I just said see you in August. I didn't notice that the technician never said "you". "You" have a 95% chance. Only numbers. Nothing personal. 

I went home feeling pretty confident. I've had a biopsy before. It was easy. It was only good news. It would be a month before the biopsy. Surely if they were worried, they'd want me to get a biopsy done much sooner. Then the phone rang and they moved my appointment to August 3. No big deal. The timing would work well with our family schedule. Probably better than August 9. And then the phone rang again. There has been a cancellation and we'd like you to come in July 20. Three days before my Big Run of Juan de Fuca. Sure. That timing would work. July 20. Exactly 3 days away. I hung up the phone thinking isn't it nice that they put me on a cancellation list so I can go on with summer and trying not to think about why it's me on the cancellation list when there are probably more worrisome cases walking through the clinic door on a daily basis..

I like numbers and so I looked it up. Sure enough, microcalcifations are normal and nothing to worry about. Unless they present in certain patterns. I thought I had only one microcalcifiaction. Maybe I only heard the word "one" when she said the word "some". Or maybe when she was busy downplaying the need for a biopsy, she was busy writing in my chart: "warning, warning, warning".

The biopsy wasn't a big deal and yet it WAS. It was invasive. They put a big grinding needle into the middle of my breast. It wasn't painful until the numbing wore off but none the less, as the needle went in and the machine made all its grinding noises, I felt a wound opening. 

The bruise is a pretty shade of yellow. There will be small scar. Much smaller than the scar I feel in a place far deeper inside myself. The part of me that is trying to reconcile the what-if. The part of me that knows that as much as the technician played down the need for this biopsy, the reality is that 30-40% of women will get bad news.  There is a 60-70% chance that won't happen to me. 

The coin is in the air. It flips end over end. It is going to land soon. I'm strong. I can do this. Can you pass me a tissue? For some reason, my eyes are wet..

Summer 2017

So it's summer. Finally. Should be the best 10 weeks of the year but it isn't. Why? Because my MOM..

Everyone knows all teenagers want to do is hang out at home playing vids, watching YouTube, and texting friends. But my mom has all these RULES. Like we have to have device-free hours. Are you kidding me?? And she expects us to go outside. Everyday! Torture!!

The only good thing about my mom is that she's totally addicted to her device. That means I get more electronics time than she says I should. I "help" her - playing Pokemon Go and teaching her how to use Instagram. 

That might have been a mistake. Instagram, I mean. She's into posting pictures of me with embarrassing hashtags. Oh my god! My MOM! Torture!!

.. really this blog is all about how I'm going to survive..

How to get your Work Done

July 11, 2016

I have a MOUNTAIN of work to do.  To do, there is:
- laundry
- dish mountain
- dress-up box sorting
- kid memory box sorting
- camping list making
- grocery shopping
- dinner making
- bed making (I am washing all beds and making up spare beds)

The mountain is so big, I can hardly find the energy to get started.  But if I don't start, I'll NEVER get done!  So here are a few strategies I use to chip away at the work:
- start with something small and manageable (like laundry sorting)
- start a job and don't think about how big it is (this worked for the dress-up box sorting)
- once a job is done, give yourself a little reward before moving on (like sorting Lego to find missing pieces)
- lump jobs together into units (like load the laundry, bring the kids to the movie, and grocery shop)
- play a pod-cast while you do the no-fun work (like dish mountain)
- cut up a big job into smaller pieces (like kid memory box sorting)

Before you know it, you will be well on your way to getting all your work done.  So far I have:
- done (most of) the laundry
- finished sorting out the dress-up box
- grocery shopping
- half of dish mountain
- started kid memory box sorting
- made 1 bed completely and washed 2 more

Now I am doing what I do best: time wasting.  I will stop writing my blog and work on Dish Mountain part II.  Happy working!

~mom

I Must!

July 7, 2016

I need to run.  Yes, I have been doing my Daily Mile all summer but that changes nothing.  I need to run.  Far.

I am trying to remember that this month, I am working on NOT running.  I am working on becoming STRONG.  I am doing my Daily Mile and my Daily Strength Routine.  It is a pain in the butt.  Seriously.  My butt is hurting..

 I hope that all the hard work I am doing now is going to help me like crazy this fall.  Yes, I've just set a personal best in the half-marathon distance.  But that doesn't mean I'll be jogging from now on.  I'm still curious about how fast I can be.  I just need a little bit of rest before I start working hard again.  Rest.  The hardest part of achieving my goals.  Speaking of rest, the clock reads 11:10pm.  Maybe I should go to bed??

~mom

Hello Summer!

Right. So it's summer again. School is out (cue the crying) and the kids are home. What will we do? How will we survive? Two months is a long, long time...

~mom

The Inexperienced Puppy-Owner's Guide to Getting a Puppy

04 February 2016

So we decided to get a puppy.  Our very first puppy.  Our very first dog.  Period.  It'll be great, right?  Puppy snuggles and super-cuteness that grows into a calm, fun-loving, delightful companion.  Right?

Right?

Not exactly..

This is the story of what getting a puppy is like when you've NEVER had a dog before.  EVER.  Today I'll start with a few myths that have been quickly dispelled..


MYTH #1: Puppies are soft and cuddly

Yes.  Yes, they are.  But they come with razor-sharp teeth and claws.  When you pet them, they will nip at you, bite you, and jump all over you.  Remember NEVER to wear good clothes around your puppy because your puppy will bite holes in them and put mud and dirt all over them.  Your puppy might not be too keen to be cuddled.  My puppy gets very nippy during cuddle sessions.  NOT fun!  And accessories?  Forget about it!  Dangling necklaces and ear rings are potentials for real disaster!

MYTH #2: My friend has a puppy that never had an accident in the house

This friend is a liar.  Or has selective memory.  Or is just dog-gone lucky  Puppies do NOT come house broken.  They will PEE and POOP all over whatever space you allow them into.  Think carefully - do you want that puppy on your rug? No?  Make sure your puppy NEVER has access to the rug.  Once your puppy PEES on your rug, he will happily PEE there again.  You think you can watch them like a hawk and catch them before they have an accident.  You can try, but even hawks have to blink every once in a while..

MYTH #3: Puppies sleep a lot

Okay - that's kind of true.  But when they are awake, they are AWAKE.  And you will get NOTHING done.  That's because your puppy will suck every minute of your time.  If you are not paying attention to your puppy, your puppy will start to bark/bite/jump/pee/poop to force to you pay attention to him.  Sure, eventually your puppy will be tired.  After you've taken him to potty, walked him, played with him, fed him, tried to teach him not to jump on you, taken him to potty again, walked him some more, cleaned him up after he got himself all muddy, rescued your shoes/books/computer cord/newspaper/jacket/leash from his mouth, played with him, fed him..  You can put him in his crate and finally have a few moments to go to the bathroom, get yourself a snack, and just like that - he'll be awake and need to be taken out for a potty break and it all starts again..

MYTH #4: Puppies love kids

How about "Puppies love TO JUMP ALL OVER kids"?  That's what my puppy likes to do.  And nip at them.  Endlessly.  My puppy completely disrespects my kids.  He eats their pants/shirt/shoe laces.  He listens selectively to them (he'll do a nice "sit" ONLY if the kids have a treat AND he happens to feel like it).  Mostly, he just likes to jump all over them.  How do you teach puppies to respect kids?  If only I knew..

MYTH #5: Reward-based training is the best way to curb unwanted puppy behaviour

You want your puppy not to jump up?  Ignore him when he jumps and reward the heck out of "4 paws on the ground".  Soon, he won't want to jump since he is only rewarded when he *doesn't* jump.  It's a great theory.  We've been working hard on it.  Every day.  The problem is, you can reward the heck out of him for 4 paws on the ground.  But the next thing you know, puppy has been rewarded with his entire breakfast and you now have nothing to reward him with.  What happens?  Puppy jumps up.  So you turn and ignore him.  What does he do?  He pees on your floor..

MYTH #6: You need to teach puppies to use a "soft mouth"

Right.  When my puppy has that wild, crazy look on his face and his teeth are snapping left, right, and centre, I'm keeping my hands the heck out of the way.  Actually, I'm keeping my whole self away.  Crazy dog!  Trying to teach a "soft mouth" involves actually letting him bite you.  And guess what? that HURTS!  I'm trying to teach my puppy not to bite at all.  When I finally figure out how to do that, I'll let you know.  For now, the daily chomp-fest continues..

MYTH #7: You need patience and a sense of humour

Patience is a virtue.  Your puppy will test that virtue again and again and again and again..  Just like that, you'll find your sense of humour flying out the window.  Never mind patience and a sense of humour.  What you need is a good support group!

MYTH #8: Enjoy the puppy phase - it passes far too quickly

Before I got my puppy, I dreamed of a companion.  With whom I share a mutual love and respect.  To have fun with.  To relax with.  To hang out with.  To run with.  To have fun with.  Where is this animal?  And does he really live somewhere inside my puppy??  One day when I'm saying this to someone else, please remind me that puppies are A LOT of work.  That they destroy your stuff.  They test your patience.  And right now, that puppy phase can't pass quickly enough..


MYTH #9: Spray Bitter Apple on anything you don't want your puppy to chew

It's true - my puppy HATES Bitter Apple spray.  It has worked great on baseboards, table legs and chairs.  But you can empty an entire bottle of Bitter Apple spray but he will NOT stop eating your shoes!

MYTH #10: Having a puppy is like having a baby

I had a couple of babies.  That was hard.  Having a puppy is hard too.  Both puppies and babies throw your life upside down.  But here's the thing: you have a certain amount of natural instinct when it comes to raising your offspring.  With a dog, all your instincts are WRONG.  Your puppy does NOT appreciate being patted on the head (that's a sure way to get him to nip at you).  When he is scared, you do NOT want to cuddle him because otherwise, he'll be EVEN MORE SCARED next time.  When he jumps on you, do NOT force him forward with your knee/take a step backward/say "down"/react in any way because you are reinforcing his behaviour with your reaction.  But if you do nothing, you are telling the dog that he is welcome to invade your space whenever he feels like it.  Books - could you please agree on how to MAKE THIS PUPPY STOP JUMPING?  I digress.  Do NOT rely on your instincts.


The long and short of it is - having a puppy in your life means saying "goodbye" to the life you once knew.  You are now the proud owner of a destructive creature with no impulse control.  Puppies are HARD!

So this is puppyhood..

Jan 31, 2016

They're so CUTE - right?  Little fur balls with bright eyes and wagging tails.  So much FUN!  And it is.  Somewhat.  But there is definitely another side of puppy-hood that is far more challenging..

Puppies need to pee and poop A LOT.  We take our puppy outside and he happily pees.  Pooping, however, is NOT his favourite.  We can never reward him for pooping because:
1. He will get super anxious and aggressive before he poops.  However, this behaviour looks EXACTLY THE SAME as playful puppy.  The next thing you know, he is squatting and doing his thing in the house.  That's NOT going to get a reward..
2. He seems to be embarrassed about pooping.  When outside, he won't look at you while he does his business.  He will often interrupt himself from pooping and doesn't finish the job.  You can't reward him for the little bit he pooped because he is busy running away..
3. If you try to reward him in any way WHILE he is doing his business, he will STOP doing his business and run off in the opposite direction.  This just means he will poop AGAIN - possibly once he gets in the house!

We've given up trying to reward "good pooping" - it's just not working!

On the other hand, puppy will pee quite happily on demand and loves getting treats for when he is done.  Great - right?  Mostly, it IS great.  However, there are a few pee pitfalls:
1. He doesn't pee everything out.  That means even if he has just peed, he might pee again once he is in the house.
2. For a while, we would take him outside as soon as he peed in the house.  Suddenly, the number of pee accidents increased A LOT.  I'm not sure if he has figured out that when he wants a treat, he pees on the floor, gets taken outside where he can pee again, and then get rewarded with a treat!
3. He seems to have more pee accidents in the evening.  I don't know if it happens because he is tired.  I'm wondering if in the evening, he needs to spend more time in his crate to break this little habit of peeing in the house multiple times every evening..

Puppy LOVES to play.  Fantastic, right?  WRONG!  One moment, you are playing with puppy and the next moment, he BITES you.  NOT FUN!  We've tried lots of things to try to keep him from nipping and biting:
1. Redirecting (giving him a chew toy to bite on) - this works sometimes, but not very reliably.  He might start chewing on the chew toy and suddenly lunge for your hands..
2. Rewarding for settling down - this works a little bit.  He LOVES the clicker and will calm himself quite well while you still have treats.  Then he curls up in your lap and you think - great, I've done it!  Just then, he lunges for your shirt..
3. "NO!" - this is what I've been told not to do.  How can you help yourself, though?  He is nipping, biting, lunging - all with a crazy look in his eyes.  He does seem to know that "NO" means "your current behaviour is unacceptable".  However, a moment later, he goes right back to what he was doing and your shirt (or pants) are right back in his mouth..
4. Ignoring - this NEVER works.  You just end up with holes in your shirt..
5. Time-out (i.e. jumping out of the playpen) - works GREAT!  Every time!  However, the moment you enter the play pen again and re-engage, he goes straight back to the nipping and biting.

AAUURRGGHH!!!

Today, he managed to put his most challenging behaviours together.  He nipped and bit.  I redirected him, I ignored him, I "good dog"ed him when he quit, I played with appropriate toys with him, and yet he STILL decided I (and my clothes) was a way better play-toy than anything else.  Things escalated until he jumped up and bit me in the face.  OUCH!  I wasn't seriously hurt, but it was extremely frightening and DEFINITELY hurt my feelings.  I jumped out of the play pen super-fast.  As soon as my back was turned, he pooped all over the kitchen floor..


...Does anyone want a puppy??

How to have a Happy Birthday

Step 1: Eat Waffles
Make sure you scoop on lots of extra whipping cream.  It's your birthday, after all..

Step 2: Watch Hockey
It's best if the team you're cheering for wins.  Don't forget to wear your lucky hockey charm necklace.  That way, your team will likely come out on top!

Step 3: Watch a Movie
Preferably a movie that you find inspiring.  Like Rocky.  Why do I find that movie inspiring?  Because of the training.  I've been thinking about Rocky a lot lately while I'm running.  "Getting stronger...."

Step 4: Play Hockey
Because playing hockey is better than watching hockey - even if the team you're cheering for wins while you're watching.  Bring cupcakes to share and make sure everyone knows it's your birthday.  That way, they can sing for you.  Everyone knows that hockey players make the best Happy Birthday singers.

Step 5: Eat a Yummy Supper
The best suppers are suppers you don't need to make.  Even better is if you can eat supper right after playing hockey when you're starving hungry.

Step 6: Eat Cake
This step is pretty self explanatory.  Don't forget to make a wish before you blow out the candle!

Step 7: Be Grateful
Spend a moment to thank the people who wished you a happy birthday - answer phone calls, emails, and texts.  Spend a moment to reflect on the year that was and contemplate the year ahead.  Make plans.  Set goals.  Then go to bed, get up, and start enjoying your new year!

~mom

Blind as a...

17 August 2015

Bats are blind - right? So how is it that a bat came flying right at me while I was wearing my yellow jacket? Maybe sonar doesn't work on yellow. What do you think?

~mom

A Great Swimming Spot..

13 August 2015

Here are some of the places I have swum this summer:

• Kits Pool
• Hillcrest
• Pool at Rockridge
• Lake at Rockridge
• Second Beach Pool

So far, my favourite swimming spot has been Second Beach Pool.  Here is why:

• You get to ride your bike to get there
• The lane is nice and long - 50m
• There are very few people swimming in the lanes - today I had an entire lane to myself!

I'm working on perfecting my breast stroke...

~mom

Between Gods

11 August 2015

by Allison Pick

This book is a memoir. It's like an autobiography in that it is a story about the author's life written by the author herself. However, while an autobiography is a story about the author's whole life, a memoir tells the story about one part of the author's life. Allison Pick writes about the time in her life when she goes through the process of becoming a Jew. 

Why I Read This Book

I loved Allison Pick's previous novel: Far To Go which is a story about Jewish children during World War II who were sent by their families on trains to England to save them from the persecution elsewhere in Europe. I knew Far To Go had ties to the author's own life as her Jewish ancestors had fled Europe and had hidden their Jewishness (is that a word??) for decades. I hoped that Between Gods would shed a little more light on her family's history and offer further insight to Far To Go.

 

What I Thought About This Book

Allison Pick writes very beautifully. However, I did not find Between Gods very compelling. Allison's father was Jewish but her mother was not. Therefore, Allison, although it seems she should be half Jewish, isn't actually Jewish at all. Allison describes being pulled so strongly by her Jewish heritage that she wants to convert to Judaism. She doesn't feel any pull from her mother's background at all. 

My feeling about the whole thing is this. 

Parts of Allison's family went through some horrendous experiences during World War II.  Allison is alive because her grandparents fled Europe and came to Canada, renouncing their Jewish heritage, and becoming Christian.  Allison, while researching and writing Far To Go, was deeply affected by the hollocaust stories within her own family as well as others' accounts (who wouldn't be?).  Because of her Jewish roots, I believe she felt a personal connection to hollocaust victims.  I believe she also suffered some survivor guilt.  I also believe that she didn't feel connected to her mother's Christian heritage because it wasn't as interesting or compelling.  During a lot of the book, I didn't relate to Allison at all.  I felt that she was over-dramatizing her situation - especially in the parts where she tries to convince her father (who IS Jewish but is a practicing Christian) to return to his Jewish roots.

What saved the book for me and kept me reading were the snippets of the other parts of her life during the time she converted to Judaism: her wedding, her miscarriage, her first child's birth.  I also appreciated her descriptions of depression.  That said, I wouldn't read this book to figure out how to get out of a depression because this book seems to imply that you will no longer be depressed if you convert to Judaism.  That doesn't make much sense to me..

~mom

Kobe's Dog Log: The Forest

9 August 2015

If I imagine heaven, it would be this: a wooded area filled with dogs and people of all sizes. There would be lots of areas to sniff and explore. There would be treats and cookies to eat. I could run untethered. Today I went to a place that was almost heaven. 

After a miserable car ride, I wasn't too pleased to find myself in an unfamiliar place with a leash around my neck. A walk? Now? I was not enthused. But within minutes, we were in this amazing place called a Forest. 

The Forest had a walking path. Clearly, many dogs come to the Forest: I smelled them EVERYWHERE! The best part: I was allowed to sniff and sniff. They had brought water for me so all that sniffing didn't make me too thirsty!

Along the path we saw:

- bikes: big bikes; small bikes; bikes for one; bikes for two; fast bikes; slow bikes

- people: big people; tiny-just-learning-to-walk people; people in groups; people by themselves

- runners: fast runners; slow runners; in-between runners

- dogs: big dogs; small dogs; mostly all calm dogs

I was supposed to sit whenever a dog walked by. This was hard for me. I was so excited - I wanted to play with every dog I saw. A couple of labradoodles that were just my size stopped to play. I behaved myself: I sniffed but held myself back from jumping all over them. I'm learning that jumping on dogs will tighten my leash and result in the end of play time. The best part of meeting these dogs was the Owner. She was soo nice. She had a dog treat just for me! I was so excited I could hardly sit like she asked.

Speaking of treats: I got a lot of treats on this walk. That made me happy. It's so much easier to remember to listen when there are so many possibilities for treats! I was asked to sit a lot: when people walked by; when people biked by; when dogs walked by; when bikes rode by.

I have only one complaint: the leash. If I hadn't been on a leash, I could have run and run and run. Still. Today was almost heaven..

~Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: Car Ride

9 August 2015

Something new happened today.  I was led outside to the car.  There, in the back was my crate!  I was confused.  What is going on?

I was put into the crate and the door was closed.  Suddenly, it was pretty dark.  Then I started bouncing about.  I guess we must have been moving.  I wasn't too happy.  The people were talking about "Granville Island".  I don't know what "Granville Island" is - it seems like a long drive followed by a really, really slow drive.  Luckily, the door opened and Black Hair gave me some water. 

Unfortunately, the door closed again and we started driving again.  This time, I heard the words "Kits Beach" and "Vanier Park".  That seems to be a lot of slow driving too.  Yellow Hair seemed to be getting stressed.  I wasn't happy either.  I could bark, but I would get shushed and no-one comforted me.  I heard the word "home".  Hooray!

When the car door finally opened, though, I wasn't home - I was at a forest.  I wasn't very happy after being in the car for so long.  Car rides make me sick!

~ Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: I am Not a Chicken

8 August 2015

When I first came to this Red House, I was a bit timid. I was happy to hang in the kitchen. I didn't nip. I didn't bark. I was on my best behaviour. 

It seems like this Red House is more permanent than I first thought. I've spent a few days getting oriented. I've sniffed my way around the block, around the other block, even the long walk to the big field with all the dogs. I've figured out how things work. Like:

- Yellow Hair is the big boss

- Brown Hair Boy and Brown Hair Girl are puppies just like me

- I go for so may walks that I don't really need my pee-pad

I feel pretty assured about my place. I'm allowed in the living room in the evening. I've tried to go there during other times of the day. I will get called back to the kitchen but if I choose not to hear, I doubt I'll get in trouble. If Yellow Hair is around, though, I'll get put back in the kitchen and the gate will go up. Still. I'm pretty happy. 

Tonight, a new door opened. Everyone went through the door. There are steps going down. A dungeon, perhaps? I don't know WHAT there might be but I'll tell you this: I AM NOT GOING DOWN THERE! Not that I'm a chicken...

~Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: Walk after Walk after Walk!

7 August 2015

So.  It turns out this family I'm staying with loves to walk.  I walked with Brown Hair Boy.  I walked with Brown Hair Girl.  I walked with Black Hair.  I even got to walk with Yellow Hair.  Oh, boy!

Walking is exciting.  There are so many new smells!  It is hard to remember to keep walking instead of running ahead or sniffing side to side.

Here are some things I saw today:
- A broken water pipe (I wasn't allowed to play there.  Boo.)
- A family with a young child
- An older couple
- A lady in a wheelchair
- An injured bird (I wasn't allowed to play with him.)
- A dog (I was allowed to say hello which I did: very loudly but we weren't allowed to play)
- A big, noisy Truck (I didn't like that very much)

Mostly, I was very polite.  I sat quietly every time someone passed by.  Except the time a person was attached to a DOG.  That was just too exciting!

At some point with all that walking, we ended up at this large, grassy field.  Guess what was there?  DOGS!  They were playing ball.  They were running.  They were off the leash.  Boy, did I want to play with those dogs.  I didn't.  I got to sit in the grass and watch them.  Still.  It was super exciting!

I had a bit of trouble settling down after all the excitement today.  I fell asleep early enough but woke up suddenly and went straight for the door.  Yellow Hair took me outside.  I was confused.  It was dark.  There was a DOG outside.  I was disoriented.  Luckily, Yellow Hair stayed close by and took me back inside right away.  I was happy when she put me in my crate.  I curled up with my Rabbit and went to sleep.

~ Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: The Top Dog

8 August 2015

I've got it figured out.

Yellow Hair is DEFINITELY the Top Dog.  Everyone listens to what she says.  She's mostly calm, but she can be pretty stern with anyone who isn't listening.  I've watched.  In know.  Brown Haired Boy and Brown Haired Girl know she's Top Dog too.  I can tell.  I'm pretty smart that way...

Yellow Hair is nice but pretty firm.  I feel secure around her because I know what she expects of me.  I do what I can to make her happy.  When she's in the mood, she gives me lots of Love and Treats.  She is around most of the time.  That makes me happy.  Sometimes she is out of my sight.  But not too long. When she comes back, I'm super happy to see her again!

~ Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: A Big Job..

7 August 2015

I'll confess: I'm not a fan of doing my business in unfamiliar places.  I've been waiting for hours to go back home but it doesn't seem to be happening.  I've had lots of opportunities to go.  People keep taking me outside.  I've gone for a walk.  I've been in the yard.  I was even sprayed off with the hose at some point.  (I think that happened because I rolled around in some super-awesome dirt!)  But even though it was fun to be outside SOMEWHERE ELSE, I really didn't want to go.  So I held it.

I held and I held.

And I held.

After supper, all 4 Red House people took me for a walk.  So many people!  I was excited to sniff absolutely everything.  It was a bit of a pain in the neck.  Literally.  I was trying to get ahead like always but I was being held back.  If I started wheezing too much, I would be called back with a "here" and a "sit".  Still.  So many smells - who can blame a dog for being excited?

The highlight of the walk was meeting some new dogs.  There were 2.  A smaller dog with short, wiry hair and a flat snout.  A bigger, shaggy-looking dog.  The small dog was calm.  But the big dog was as excited as I was.  No wonder.  Even though he looks big, he's only 16 months - just 1 year older than me!  We started play-wrestling.  The people seemed worried about us.  We didn't get   to play long before we were pulled apart.  I heard the words "it's play but he's really big".  I don't know what that means, but the next thing I know, play time was over and we headed for home.

After play time, I couldn't hold it any longer.  I found a nice spot on the boulevard and did my business.  My people seemed pretty happy with me.  When we got home, I got lots of love.  I was pretty tuckered out after that.  I was allowed to sleep in the living room.  Yellow Hair eventually lifted me up and put me in my crate.  The curtains were closed and I settled in for a comfy night.  Lots of weird things are happening and my world is pretty confusing right now.  But at least I'm having fun and that makes me pretty happy.

~Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: A New Place

7 August 2015

The door opened.  Holy cow!  I couldn't contain myself.  I took 2 steps and - oops - I leaked a bit..  I took another 3 steps and then really let it rip.  It was a loooong car ride and I reaaallly needed to go...

There were all sorts of new faces inside of this Red House.  I was nervous and excited.  My Suzy seemed to be talking to Yellow Hair a lot.  My Keith brought in all my stuff from home.  My crate.  My blanket.  My leash.  My food.  My treats.  My pee pad.  What is going on here?  I used my pee pad.  That made me feel a bit better.  Still nervous.  But better.

My Joseph kept me busy.  I showed off all my best tricks:
- Sit
- Shake a paw
- High 5
- Lay down
- Crawl

I'm so happy to do everything my Joseph tells me to to do.  But then something funny happened.  Everyone went to the door.  The door opened and everyone went out.  Everyone.  Except me.  These new people held me back!!  What is going on??

I was led into the kitchen.  A plastic gate went up to keep me inside.  There were 4 people keeping me company: Yellow Hair, Black Hair, Brown Hair Boy, and Brown Hair Girl.  They all played with me.  They asked me to sit.  To lay down.  To crawl.  High 5.  They even asked me to Go Around.  Whatever THAT means!  All I know is there was a treat inside the hand.  The hand went behind the back and I followed.  Eventually, they gave me a treat.

I am having fun so far.  I get a bit nervous from time to time.  When that happens, I go into my crate.  When I do that, people leave me alone.  That makes me happy.  My blanket made an appearance in the kitchen.  I was so happy to see it!  I chewed it and re-arranged it just the way I like it.  I'm still not sure what's going on, but so far, it's not too bad.

~Kobe

Kobe's Dog Log: Where Am I?

7 August 2015

I went for a nice, long car-ride today.  It was different than my normal car-rides because:
- my crate came
- my blanket came
- ALL my toys came
- a big bin of rags, supplies, and food came
- the WHOLE family came
- along with a whole pile of luggage

We stopped at a Red House with Yellow Stairs.  Boy, was I excited.  And nervous.  Where am I?

~Kobe

A Day at Rockridge

6 August 2015

So we just got back from 4 days of Family Camp at Rockridge Canyon.  This is how my typical day at Rockridge looked:

7:00am - Running Club
I started most days with a run.  A quick 3km up to the dam at the end of the lake and back again for a total of 6km.  The fun part is counting all the deer...
 
8:30am - Breakfast Buffet
Omelet station, pancakes, eggs, potato casserole: every morning brought a new surprise in the buffet line.  My favourite treat was the cinnamon bun on the last day.  YUM!
 
9:30am - Family Fun Activity
I attended 2 family fun activities: the pool Olympics and the beach activities.  Highlights included watching the Cat do the lily-pad adventure, the Huffer working hard on the in-and-out race, and the Old Man jousting.  My favourite part was pool volleyball which consisted of trying to throw as many beach balls, pool toys, and noodles to the other team's side of the net as possible.  We won.  By a lot. 

11:00am - Relaxation Time
After the family fun activity, there was time to dry off as necessary, catch up with friends, relax a bit, plan the afternoon activities, and get ready for lunch.

12:00noon - Lunch
Every day brought a new lunch: pasta feast, Greek fiesta, and chicken burgers.  My favourite lunch was the chicken burgers because of the chipotle sauce.  The soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies were the best lunch dessert..

1:30pm - Free Time
Each afternoon, all activities are open.  That means: pool, beach, blob, boats, zip-line, canoes, disc golf, and more.  The trick is to run down to the boats first thing to sign up.  I ended up riding all the boats: the wake-surf boat, the water-ski boat, the banana-boat, and the party barge.  I wasn't brave enough to wake-surf but I did try the water skiing and it was super!  I got up on my 2nd try and stayed up after my 3rd try.  Each day, I tried to get a bit of pool time.  I loved swimming a few laps.  I worked hard on my breaststroke technique.

4:30pm - Relaxation Time
At 4:30pm, the activities close.  Usually, I took this time to take a leisurely shower and get ready for supper.  It was also a good time to catch up with friends and compare stories about our afternoon adventures.

5:30pm - Dinner
Each night, we had a gourmet dinner: turkey dinner with mashed potato and stuffing; ribs (sooo good!); chicken & rice with mushroom sauce; roast beef and Yorkshire puddings.  After dinner, there was dessert.  The best ones were the flourless chocolate cake with blueberry sauce and the rustic apple pie.  An honorable mention goes to the strawberry shortcake.

6:45pm - Club
Club starts with lots of singing.  Fun songs.  With a band.  Familiar songs like "Brown-eyed girl", "Twist-and-shout", "Livin' on a Prayer", "Sweet Caroline", "Let it Be", "Sweet Home Alabama".  The words are on the screen for anyone who doesn't know them.  After singing, the kids go outside to have some fun while the adults (and teens) stay for the talking portion of club.  Some guy named Chris would tell these super-funny stories.  Then he would get a little more serious and read from the Bible.  He would spend 5-10 minutes talking about the Bible and then the kids would be called in for more singing.  Afterwards, there would be some announcements which would typically get interrupted  by Mr. Tool and Captain Clean.  More on them later...

9:00pm - Evening Activity
The evening activity would be some sort of party: a Hawaiian beach party, a Mexican fiesta, a country-western night.  Along with dancing, there would be some sort of yummy food: hot dogs, fruit kebabs, cotton candy, nachos.  My favourite evening activity was the hay ride.  We saw lots of deer and the sunset was beautiful.

A little bit more about Mr. Tool and Captain Clean...

So Mr. Tool and Captain Clean claim to be superheros.  While they look like a duo, they actually claim to be a "three-o".  The third member of the crew is Mr. Mittens: a 300lb super-cat who was once dropped into a bucket of radioactive slime.  Mr. Mittens, however, was lost and no-where to be found.  Each of the evening activities was an attempt to lure Mr. Mittens home again.

Over the days, we slowly learned the Mr. Tool and Captain Clean are actually stay-at-home dads who are not so clean and not so handy.  In the end, it appears they might not even have superhero powers.  That doesn't stop the kids at Rockridge from squealing with delight every time they make an appearance which proves the following: kids love people in spandex suits!


Next time at Rockridge

If we ever go back to family camp, I would like to do the following:

1. Try wake surfing
I wasn't brave enough the first time but after water skiing, I realize the wake surfing boat travels much, much slower and I'm sure I could do it..

2. Use the longer skis for water-skiing
I was worried about going fast so I used the shorter skis and went slower.  However, the short skis are really tough to stay balanced on when you are a big adult.  Next time, I'll try the longer skis.  I'm sure they'll still work even if the boat isn't whipping around too fast!

3. Walk to the top of the zip-line each day
You never know.  One day, I might even get enough courage to try.

4. Try the ropes course again
I SUCKED big time the first time.  But I'm sure I could do better!

5. Do more dancing
I tried square dancing and it looked more like pentagon dancing because I kept losing my partner.  It was fun anyhow.  And I COULD have done the Macarena...


~mom