Saturday, July 28, 2007

UPDATED: Am I the Only One...

... who hates their dog? I do love Mabel. But there are times, like tonight, when I hate her. I really hate her. And I can actually see my life without her.

And I hate myself for feeling this way. It brings up so many bad memories of her first year with me. Her pounding the back doors in the middle of the night, startling me awake from a dead sleep, to go chase a critter; her insistence of sleeping with me; her running off and leaving me while hiking; the way she turns to acknowledge my "NO," squints, turns her head in the direction she wants to go and bolts.

What has me feeling this way is not one but two kitty incidents. Mabel has a high prey drive. And she wants to eat cats. I keep waiting for her to have an encounter with a cat that will beat her up a bit.... no such luck.



This is an overview of where we hike daily. The purple arrow is where we park (it got a little fuzzy when sizing). The main creek is below that long line that runs across the top of the photo... the line is the levy. As the creek is dry this time of year, we settle for the urban runoff. You can see the channel from dead center bottom. It curves up and left. There is an area full of eucalyptus and poplar trees where the water forms a pond before moving on.

Normally, we park and turn left behind the big overbuilt Mcmansions. Shortly before the white arrow is a house / dog I love to visit with. A gorgeous yellow lab I call Summer Sunshine. This dog seems very lonely and I know she looks forward to my visits with her.

We then circle behind the houses, head back toward the big creek and end up in the runoff to let Mabel cool down before going home. We often do variations depending on how good my feet feel but these are the highlights.

A few weeks back, Mabel discovered the house with the white arrow has kittens in their back yard - actually the side of their house. As their yard is well fenced, I would visit with Summer Sunshine while Mabel whined and scratched outside the kitty fence. I would call her and we would be on our way.

Two days ago, Mabel discovered a ditch that runs behind their yard. She shimmied under the fence over the ditch - it doesn't go all the way down to allow for flooding. Again as there was a fence around their yard, I wasn't really worried. She got bored and came to me eventually.

Yesterday, we ran into a fellow rottie owner and one of her dogs we haven't seen in months as he was nursing a snakebite. We played with him for a bit and ran into our regular pack.
The four dogs played and ran. It was hot and we thought they were all exhausted. We hiked with the Ridgies back to our cars and Mabel bolted. I was shocked she left her friends.

They left, I got her leash and hiked over to the house. She had shimmied under the fenced ditch and was sizing up their back fence... which had fallen and was replaced with deer fencing. Within a heartbeat, she was in their yard!

I couldn't get over the side fence or under the ditch fence. I raced back to the car and drove around. I didn't realize at the time that there were two additional cul-de-sacs. I went to the first one and tried to get in the back yard before realizing I was in the wrong place... repeated that in a second cul-de-sac before finding the right one.

The homeowner was a little afraid of Mabel and was in the side yard watching the fiasco. I asked him to turn on his hose. The kittens had taken refuge on top of a grape arbor over a barbeque. Mabel was on top of their grill, leaping at the kittens!

I chased her with a hose for a good 10 minutes before she came to me. I couldn't believe how laid back the guy was..."It's OK. Don't worry about it." I would have read the riot act to someone if those had been my kittens!

Tonight we have our regular hike with our pack. I kept her on leash well past the kitten house, much to the dismay of our friends. I let her go as we were heading into open land... right near Melvin's house. Turns out, Melvin's parents have a cat!

I heard Mabel jumping and scratching on their door. I ran as fast as my pitiful feet would carry me. I squirted her with my water bottle and finally got her leashed up, knocking over a ton of patio furniture in the process. It still took me a good five minutes to drag her off their porch and back into the creek.

By the time we got back to the pack, I was limping... my foot had just started to feel better. My back was aching and I was furious. The whole reason I take Mabel to the creek is to allow her to roam at her own pace and not be pulling me and my terrible feet / back. I'm starting to feel too old for my dog. And after two days of this crap, I don't care if I ever walk her again.

Just when I thought she was maturing and listening, she pulls this. Do I have to wait til she's a senior citizen to enjoy my walks with her?

UPDATE: I called Kat... I had given her a shock collar for her dog. It was one I bought for Mabel and she mysteriously turned into the best good girl before I even took the thing out of the box! Kat found the collar and brought it over. Mabel wore it out with the pack tonight. I only used the buzzer (noise only) three times. I used it to correct her running away once and rough housing Sue twice. She was amazingly well behaved and disliked the noise very much.

And... Mabel had another breakthrough tonight. We've been trying for months to teach her to drink from a water bottle like Hank & Sue and tonight she finally got it! She even came up to me and tapped my bottle with her nose! So, she's back in the nook for now.
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Thursday, July 26, 2007

Wisdom of Age

It's strange - the wisdom that comes with age. Things that we could not see clearly when we were young are suddenly crystal clear when looking back with a little life experience behind us.

I was cleaning frantically the other day, trying to tidy my messy life for a visit from my college roommate (the nurse I wrote of at Christmas time). She has never been to visit me here in California and I talked her into leaving her 17 year old daughter behind and make the trip for a little "me time" for herself.

The fact that I'm cleaning for her is exceptionally funny. She's the one who taught me to be a mess! She was a diplomat's daughter, growing up in exotic locales like Egypt and the Philippines - but much more suited to small town Mississippi. Her only duties as a child were to make her bed (something I never did) and place her neatly folded pajamas underneath her pillow. She never had to pick anything up, put it away or dust it. After fighting her clutter semester after semester in college, she won me over.

To this day you will find my bed made and my nightie under my pillow. And nothing else in it's place. That being said, my house cannot look like my house with company coming. And while cleaning off the bookshelf to get rid of some of the many books I've already read or ones that were given to me and I know I will never read (try as I might, I simply cannot even read a sentence or two of books such as "Wealth without Risk" or "Securing your Financial Future." I will always be poor because I fall asleep reading these things...Hmm... maybe I should have kept one by my bed for my insomnia).

In the course of filling three huge boxes with books, I found my high school diploma. For a girl who feels so overwhelmed by stuff, why am I still lugging this thing around? It's not like I need it to prove anything.

I remember being so proud of my gold seal for my years in the Forensic Society. I didn't get the second seal reserved for 4.0 students. I was a great student and have one of the highest i.q.s in my school but for the life of me, I couldn't get decent grades in the secretarial courses my mother forced me to take.

"You might want to be a secretary someday. You'll be so glad you know how to type."

"Mom, I'm going to have a secretary, not be one."

In the end, we were both right. I had a secretary. I'm also glad I know how to type. But that skill came from my interest in computer geekdom, NOT just wanting to know how to type.



I called my best friend and asked for permission to throw it away. It felt good... but I had to dig it out to scan the thing for the blog. Now it's back in the trash and come Monday, it'll be in an L.A. landfill, no longer one more piece of clutter. What it represents, I will always have with me. Letting go is good.



The other bit of wisdom has to do with looks. Every woman I know is so hard on herself looks-wise. I have always felt like the most hideous woman - certain it was my strange looks that were to blame for my lack of a boyfriend. To complicate matters, I've always had really pretty friends.

I could name a litany of reasons I look strange: red hair, curly hair that would get to my shoulders and get wider instead of longer, freckles, stocky body, too short, lips too thin, legs too muscular, feet too small, hands too thick... you name it, I've hated it.

While cleaning, I ran across a mini wedding album from former bosses' wedding. We were close friends for 10 years. 2001 was a crisis year for me... many things happened and I was exceptionally busy. She sent me an email to tell me all the things I didn't do for her - stupid stuff like missing her toddler's birthday party. I tossed the album in the trash pile.

Later, while picking up, I noticed this photo and started flipping through the album. I was so insecure at that wedding. All the blond bridesmaids and me... the silly redhead. I felt so ugly next these blonds.

But looking back, damn, I look good. I am not a vain person but I think I'm the cutest girl there. Why couldn't I appreciate that? Why couldn't I have been a little gentler with myself? Why couldn't I just be a little kinder to myself now? Just accept myself as I am?

I could... but I don't look like that anymore.

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Thursday, July 19, 2007

Free Fall

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I startled two hawks
from the cottonwood trees.

Away they flew.
Away from me.

I watched them soaring
I admired their dance.

They fly so high
and spin down, down.

Flapping wildly
then falling free.

I am them;
they are me.

I am beside them,
up, up in the air.

For just one moment,
I know their rapture.

My dog brushes my leg.
My reverie is gone.

But the hawks, still there.
I shake off my dream.

I will find them again
and soar high, we shall.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Staying Busy

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Sorry I've been so quiet. I've had my godson and his friends helping me out in the shop and around the house - organizing stuff, trimming hedges and other yard work I can't handle on my own.

In addition, the long overdue website overhaul is getting underway along with the launch of a new website. If those two projects weren't monumental enough, I had another site go down this week. It was the Museum of Modern Rubber line that I license and their former host (rhymes with Betwork Molutions) is notorious for ramming it to their customers... they want A LOT of money to get everything back up and running. So, I just bought a similar name and created a NEW Modern Rubber website . It's VERY basic but will do the job for now...

The hole in my bedroom wall has also become quite the project. Patching and sanding and now painting. Lowe's mixed the wrong color and I tried and tried mixing my own last night to no avail. After hours of painting yet another wrong color, I gave up and called Hank & Sue's mom. She's a scenic painter on lots of tv shows. She brought primer and a gorgeous color of paint called Ruby Gold, which is also one of the prettiest colors of glass! I got the primer up this morning and she is bringing me the right wall color tonight... but what to do with that fabulous Ruby Gold??? I'm digging through my rubber stamps for a fleur-de-lis...

I bought a plane ticket to Baton Rouge for early November. My big sis will be celebrating her 65th while I'm home. Actually, I promised her a trip home for the occasion in hopes it will get me a good excuse not to be there in December. I really want a quiet, happy Christmas for once. But it will be good to get to see the cousins in Walker & Gonzales as well. It's been too long and these guys are like other siblings to me.


My feet are better every day. I hope everyone is having a good week!

Friday, July 13, 2007

The Accidental Filmmaker

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I hope you guys laugh at these as hard as I have. Remember the dog post...two days ago? In the first video, you hear me mention, "Oh I'm making a video!" Until that moment, I didn't know my camera did that! I swear!

In the meantime, I've made two more movies. Please keep in mind... I thought I was taking a picture...still picture!

This film was taken at Laguna Beach recently when my Greek mom (really my close friend, Kat's mom) was visiting.



This next one is even more embarrassing. It was taken when we were in Temecula again for BF Barb's birthday. I was trying to get shot of the flowers for a post on a nursery there.



The really funny part is... if I wanted to make a movie with this camera... I wouldn't know how!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

News

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I was going to post something else today but had some news.

First, I can walk!!! Like magic, there was NO PAIN today! No cane, no walker...just me! Wow! And while I started to have doubts when Mabel took off on me in the middle of nowhere (punishment for no run yesterday), I managed just fine.

Second, the "job interview" was a request that I volunteer teach. I can't really afford to sit in traffic 6 hours a week and make no money. But, I did learn how to get into the already full glass blowing class... Yeah!

Yesterday was exhilarating and expensive, and painful as I still had to use the cane / walker. I stopped by Pacific Artglass yesterday only "needing" a few items. I had started some Halloween beads and found I had no orange. As soon as I got in the door, Karen and John both see me and exclaim, "The moretti is fully stocked!!!"

This only happens about twice a year... the chance to grab any color rod you want right off the shelf. I was a little overzealous and over spent... and wouldn't you know, the one color I was dying for (straw yellow), they didn't get in.

Then I went to the crochet class and remembered they teach glass bead making there. They had the color I was looking for...tons of it! So I had to pay retail but I'm all stocked up on glass and can play til my heart is content I run out again.

Finally, the bead crochet was so fun! I had tried to teach myself a dozen times and failed. But in class, I realized, it's really simple...you just have to make sure the cord is over the previous row's bead. It was really fun, once we all got a few rows and the project started to take shape. And the teacher is coming back for a free follow up class to help us finish off our projects in a few more weeks. Very nice.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The Pack

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OK, let me just tell you that it took everything in me NOT to title this post "Danger: Doofus with a camera!" When you see the videos, you'll understand.

I promised Jackie some time ago that I would post pictures of our "pack" that we hike with... not us humans... just the pretty doggies. Finally, pictures of the pack.

Let me formally introduce: Hank on the left and Sue on the right. The brat in the middle, you probably know. Notice how carefully Mabel is studying Sue's tail. She nibbles it constantly trying to get Sue to give chase.


That would be when Sue isn't trying to get everyone to chase her... Love Hank's ears as he's running to get in on the fun.


Regal Hank ("stealing" a roll in the cool grass of the golf course!)


They love frolicking at the creek or creating a dust storm.


Sometimes, we can't all make it to the creek, so we try to visit at home with a play date. Sue and Mabel always have kisses and often hugs for each other.



This is Sue, headed home from a hike. Isn't she a doll?



I was desperately trying to capture a kiss between the girls on my camera, only to discover, my camera takes videos. I've "accidentally" made a few movies! But you can almost see Sue trying to kiss Mabel here.




The kids running...




Best Friends...

The Ugly, the Bad, the Good & the Pretty

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It's been a rough couple of weeks here. This time of year is always hard on me. I tend to get very depressed... at least I did until two summers ago. Now, it's just a really bad mood that happens in late June / early July. So if you just want the happy stuff, skip down a bit.

Oh, the above picture is Mabel..."playing" with her buddies Hank & Sue. But it totally sums up my mood! Note the placement of Sue's paws on Mabel's neck. (This is my best attempt at getting one of their "hugs" on film.) Even when things aren't so good, it's nice to have friends who care!

The Ugly: I'm back on my walker or cane, depending on distance. Not happy at all about this. I went to get a pedicure hoping to look cute for the BF's (that would be best, not boy) bday. There was a line and a sign saying reflexology available. The masseuse was standing around so I decided to get a session. What I didn't know then was that a Thai reflexology session is very different from the kind that I've had many times and even credit with my mobility. Apparently, the Thai massage the feet with sticks! In spite of my showing her my surgery scars and explaining my foot problems, she jammed the stick right into my plantar fascia tendon and I flew up in the air! I kept hoping it was just a bruise, but I'm back with the doc getting the bloody horrible injections and doing my thrice daily routine of icing, anti-inflammitories and stretching. I'm swimming nightly and praying the doc won't tape me.

Ugly #2 is it has been so darn hot, the ac doesn't kick off til 2 or 3 in the morning and I've got an ear infection from the "wind."

The Bad:

My bad mood seems to make everything just irritate the crap out of me! The targets of my ire in recent days:

*The stupid gardeners who blow debris into the street and in front of the gardenee's neighbors house. In LA, it's only a few minutes before the neighbor's gardeners show up and blow it back. Why don't they sweep it up and throw it away instead of just blowing it back and forth?

*Children who ride their ^*%(__)# skateboards into oncoming traffic (me) at dusk. I followed them home and talked to their parents. Brats!

*My old house and pipes. Since I moved here, I've hated my shower. It takes a good 8 minutes to wet my head. I've often wondered how this can be water conservation but chalked it up to the mandatory shower heads we must have. Until I happened to take a shower at Kat's house the other week and it dawned on me that maybe it is my shower head. Two shower heads later, I called the plumber who had to cut an opening in my custom painted bedroom wall (the palest lavender pink with hand stamped silver spirals) to remove the old clogged pipe. Total: $580.00. Ugh!

*My one road town. I live in a tiny valley / hillside that is two miles wide x five long. And while we do have back roads, we are pretty much a one road town. This little village really ticked me off the other day when I decided to make peach ice cream and discovered my ice cream maker had breathed it's last after I had cut everything up and was ready to go. I spent two good hours driving to nine stores in town looking for an ice cream maker. Every store agreed that an ice cream maker is something they should sell but don't.

*Myself - for having so much faith in my one road town that I wasted two hours instead of just driving 10 minutes to the metropolis of Burbank, getting an ice cream maker and returning home. The total time this took after I gave up: 30 minutes door to door but... I was too tired to make ice cream at that point.

The Good: Yes, thank God there is some good in all this.

*The pool is finally warm enough to swim. I curse having a pool(never wanted one but loved the house...it came with) all winter long when I'm freezing and wet having to vacuum or deal with too many leaves. But swimming at night, right before bedtime is exhausting in the best way. I tend to sleep much better in summer and I'm certain it's the pool. There's nothing like floating completely still, staring at the stars and hearing only my heartbeat and breath.

*My summer school classes have started so there is a boost to my income. Best of all, after teaching for years, I've finally started to book my own teaching gigs around classes I want to take. I feel stifled when I'm not learning something new. It's taken some planning and juggling but this past week I finally got to take the silver solder class I've been dying to take for years. And Wednesday, I'm taking bead crochet. This fall, I hope to take glass blowing.

*When I called about the glass blowing class...it's already wait listed...I ended up with a job interview... not even sure for what really but the head of the department was excited to meet me because I teach jewelry fusing at several colleges and a few art studios. We'll see...

And finally....


The Pretty: We've got babies!!!!

There is a small horse farm right across dirty creek. They have one large horse and three minis. The mini mom, Lady was pregnant when they bought her two years ago. She gave birth to Ginger and sometime last summer got pregnant again by their male mini, Magic. And it's a girl. I just love the arrow on her tummy. I'm also amazed at how protective Lady is...she gets really mad if Ginger comes near.



I rode by the "peacock tree" the other night and noticed a baby peacock on the roof. This was the only shot I got before he / she flew to bed.