Mindless chatter, weekend edition

BEVOLASVEGAS

  I put my guys in a sit-stay, & she starts trying to call them over.  When they ignore her, she comments about me needing to work on their obedience.

And she's just one of those clueless people that doesn't realize that the dogs are exhibiting the epitome of obedience by staying where put. Why is it that the clueless people are most apt to think they are the greatest experts?

Anyway, here's my undersocialized dog laying belly-up in my lap just a few moments ago.

He's about 5.5 years old now and you can see he's getting a little gray in the muzzle. But he still thinks he's a lap dog and I have a big enough lap.

Shadow is such a handsome boy! 

I took Willow for a walk in this old historic cemetary today.  It's got really old grave stones that you can barely read with that old type of English writing style.  I was having a pretty good time reading the dates on the stones. 

Willow is up to walking about 35 minutes which is great because she's driving us both crazy.  I'm brushing up on her commands at night to try to mentally tire her since physical she wants to do way more than she can handle at the moment. 

And, now we are expecting some friends over so I'm going to be fighting to not blow my diet entirely tonight.  And, we are expecting 6 inches of snow too. 

Hope everyone has a great night!

Lori & Willow

Amanda that stinks that he didn’t listen to you. You would have thought by now the man would have learned!

Today was a good and bad (slightly) day thus far. The bad news is that I had noticed last night that Jimmy James’ muzzle looked a little odd and then this morning when we got him outside, in good light and were standing over him we noticed how MUCH MORE deformed his muzzle was. It was getting incredibly swollen and after looking very closely at his muzzle we found a small puncture wound from the dog who charged him the other day that was off leash. So this whole time that we thought his yelps were related to his messed up joints and him lying down, they were relating to his face that hurt and was getting infected.

So we got him to the vet and she drained some of it by use of compresses and said she thought we should try to let it heal without going in and draining everything. So now we have to do compresses on the boy throughout the day to keep it draining and he is on more pain meds and antibiotics.   It could have been SOOOO much worse, but it  still ticks me off that our neighbors dog did that.

Anyway so we rushed to the vet and rushed home in time to go with my parents to our “surprise” xmas present. Turned out they took us to a place that was having blind wine tastings with cheese plates and then a specialty meal that went well with the wines. I am not typically a fan of chardonnays, but most of these were un-oaked and were actually VERY good. SO the tasting was great even though I only paired one wine correctly!  Then for lunch I had a shrimp stuffed ravioli with leeks in a beurre blanc sauce that was outstanding and DH had a seabass with vegetables in a saffron sauce.  We paired the first French sauvignon blanc wine I have ever REALLY liked. Normally I am all about the Marlborough region sauvignons, but this Sancerre was excellent and I couldn’t believe it was only $30 a bottle.  After lunch was over and I was helping my mom with something, DH went over and bought a bottle of the Sancerre for me as a present. It was super sweet and I think we will hold on to it and perhaps have it next month for Valentine’s day. Overall a really, really nice day, with a little bit of a downer from JJ’s injuries.    

LOL at Amanda's DH!! I think is funny when your SO realizes that you were right, but they need to go through that kind of  thing to learn. I bet there will be no more "rested Bevo" for the class!

I went today to the petstore with Thor for a bath, we had 2ºC here today, so it was now or never! DH told me to go in the car, so Thor wouldn't need to walk back home wet in the snow: I got stuck in the snow for about half an hour, until an old men came to help me (God bless him!)... Then we went to the dogpark for a walk and finally to the petstore. Thor had this little fear of climbing the removable stairs the lady uses to get him inside the tub. Every time we go is a little less problematic and today Thor just went through the tub like a champion, it was so funny we clapping at him ~lol~ He got a new stuffie "Señor Burrito" (Mr. Donky) and he is now snoring with burrito in his kennel, awwww...

BTW I saw the beds in the shop and remember about Theo the bed-eater!! LOL

I  spent all day with some friends for an annual lunch but the best part is that we got to play with 5, five week old Lab pups!!  Oh, the puppy breath was great!  We had a great time and introduced the pups to a pigeon.  I'll post pics if any came out good.  While we were outside playing with the puppies, mama dog helped herself to the remainder of the King Ranch chicken!  Glad I won't be having that dog for a sleepover tonight.LOL  I actually played with a total of fifteen Labs today and when I got home my dogs almost sniffed their brains out smelling all the other dogs!  It was a fun day.

Shadow is so handsome Ron!!! You should post more pictures of him!! WOW

Lori, I think old cementeries are pretty cool too. We have a huge one in Caracas with tumbs since 1850 (I think) and the statues and plaques were amazing.

jjmom: I hope he gets better soon. I didn't know JJ was atacked and I'm very sorry. Hopefully he will do better soon.

Calinisima

Shadow is so handsome Ron!!! You should post more pictures of him!!

Shadow says thanks. And, if I do say so myself, the pics turned out alright, considering I was aiming by guesswork with my right hand. The first pic, I couldn't tell until I looked at it because I held the camera away. The second pic was right up against my eye, so I knew that one would be a little better and that's the view I have of Shadow when he wants to lay in my lap.

Shadow is such a handsome guy!

I wish that my guys would curl up with their stuffies like Thor does!  Instead they de-stuff them, & carry around the carcassses.

BEVOLASVEGAS

Instead they de-stuff them, & carry around the carcassses

Ah, the spoils of victory.

Ah yes.  I have the remains of six stuffies here.  It looks like it snowed in here.  But, at least this snow is warm....ok, warmer, than the stuff outside!

 I am soooooo psyched for the Giants game today!!!!!!!!!!  Go Giants!!

LOL I'm watching CBS Sunday Morning and they showed a blip with Glenn Close getting her dogs to stay while she had the interview - even the celebs have to work at it 

Gosh I'm impressed that you all at least get to keep the remains of stuffies - Bugsy just doesn't stop until there are NO remaining pieces larger than say a quarter.  Speaking of the beast he is on very, very strict NILIF  - he is always on it but he has become really pushy and upping his mischief of late so back to boot camp.  I wonder if we will ever get to be a little less diligent with him

There is an old grist mill (1756 I think) about a mile from here and I went there yesterday to take pictures it is very nice and they have done a great job building a park around it.  I haven't been since it first opened about 18 mos ago and was very impressed with the progress.  Unfortunately they do not allow dogs

That's all - DH wants to walk B today so I will have to give him some direction re dealing with the girl and crazy dog just in case.  DH never pays attention to anything on his walks so I hope he at least stays on the lookout for her

Oh, man.  I'm really upset this morning.  A friend called, quite early, to see if I could watch her kids today.  Her husband is in jail.

M is really a nice guy, when he hasn't been drinking.  But, he loves to drink and he can't handle it.  Apparently Friday night he beat her up, yet again, and when she went to work yesterday, coworkers were concerned and followed her home to be sure she was ok.  One of the guys simply told M that he had to stop hurting C, that people CARE about her and that if he doesn't stop, there will be people to answer to.  Of course, M got beligerent, got in the guys face, yada, yada, then went in the house and called the police and said that this man had threatened to kill him.  The police came, and M ended up getting arrested because they SAW, despite her trying to hide it, what he had done to C.

C did not press charges.  C is afraid of M and won't do anything to rock the boat.  She is quite religious and really believes in the sanctity of marriage.  And, M has eroded her self worth, which is of course what a man HAS to do before he can throw the first punch, and get away with it. Apparently MI is really tough on domestic abuse and the bad old days are long gone where the police have to SEE the jerk hit the woman before they can arrest him.  That was the case when I was going through this many years ago.

So, M is sitting in jail, no doubt stewing about C "getting him in trouble again" and C is shaking like a leaf, and the two kids are not sure whats going on.  The baby is only 11 months old, the little girl is 4.

The officer last night I think did wake C up when he told her "this is NOT good for your kids".  I totally understand what C is going through.  M is a nice man when he's sober, which isn't often lately, he's her husband, the father of her children and she does love him.  AND, he's beaten her down emotionally to where leaving him really scares her....it scares her to think of being alone with the two kids, of never being loved again, and all the stuff that goes through a battered womans mind.

Having been there myself, I know better than to tell her to pack up and leave him for good.  That has to be her decision and hers alone.  In fact, I rather optimistically told her that MAYBE this is the wake up call that M needs, maybe now he will check himself into rehab and get himself straightened out, and the ONLY thing I told her she really HAS to do, is to demand counseling, both joint marriage, and for himself individually.  But, I did also use myself as an example of "life after hell" and shared that we will be married 26 years in May and that this man doesn't so much as raise his voice to me.

I think I'm rambling, and my apologies for that.  I'm really upset for this young woman and for her children.  And I know that all I can do is be here for her, and be a support system without being judgemental.  Without telling her what she SHOULD do.  If I had a home, I'd open it in a heartbeat to her and the kids, but that's not an option.  I suppose that we could move over to her yard so that she has a support system closer, and my son could use the room in her basement so that we aren't on top of one another, but, that leaves the other gal we are staying with in the lurch and I'd hate to do that to her after she's been so much help to us, even if she does drive me crazy.

Maybe just say a prayer that things will work out for the best for M and C and those precious children?  I know that in C's mind that would be for M to swear off booze, dry out and straighten up and fly right, but that might not be what's BEST for all involved.  I wish I had a crystal ball and knew the right thing to do......

Quite a predicament, Glenda.

People can rehab and change but only after they have recognized their rock bottom. As long as she puts up with it, he won't hit his rock bottom.

The reactionary part of me would fix it so that he can't hit anyone, ever again. One way or another. And if he goes to jail or prison, that may end up being the final dispensation, whether you guys desire that, or not. Guys with a tough guy attitude that go to prison often encounter guys who are tougher than they are.

But I think you are on to something with the counseling. And the judge in the case needs to make that a condition of the final judgement. Even if he actually goes to jail, he must undergo counseling and rehab. Your friend, right now, is incapable of giving him the tough love he needs. So, the judge needs to keep up on his case. If he drinks again or abuses again, that should violate his parole or probation and he needs to go back in the slammer and rehab. And I know that he is the father of her children. But, as you pointed out, donating some DNA and actually being a father are two different things and the children will be better off without him unless he can change. I was raised mostly by our mother and have had 3 step-fathers. And she didn't have a high school diploma. The closest we got to government aid was living in govt subsidized apts in Lewisville, Texas. Otherwise, she brought us up with her high tensile steel backbone.

I truly feel for you and your friend and her kids. I am wishing the best for them. And her husband needs to change his thinking or someone will change it for him.

Glenda - I'm sorry about your friend too. I hope she finds the strength to look out for herself and her children. She's got one thing on her side right now and that's the love and support from friends like you.

I didn't make it to Trader Joes yesterday, so I need to go this morning. I want to go early cause it's no fun when it's busy and it gets busy soon after opening. I have a $100 gift card from MIL, so I'm excited about all the yummy stuff I can buy.

DH is still working today but I think I'll make lasagna this afternoon anyway. It'll give us something for dinner for the next few nights and I've really been craving it lately.

It's bright and sunny this morning but cold. We don't have any rain on the horizon for the next several days but we really need it. Still, I'm glad for a sunny day off.

Karen, my DH shares your love for the Giants.  He was raised in Boston, but developed a love for the Giants.  His entire family makes fun of him for not being a Patriots fan.

Glenda, I'll say a prayer that your friend.  That's a terrible situation to be in.  I hope that she does what is best for her, and her kids.

A friend & I hung out last night.  We sat in front of the fireplace, drank wine, & talked.  We both had a great time, although I think that it's safe to say that we may have drank a little too much. 

I have a long list of things that I need to do around the house today.  I'm considering taking the dogs for a long hike instead.