His Own Personal Best

On April 25 & 26, we had a Flyball tournament in Canby, OR. All the dogs were really on fire, and Wyatt even ran a 4.01, which shaved .19 of a second off his previous best time. They had a professional photographer there (Nina Sage), and so I ordered these prints of the Wy-man, puttin' his thing down. I love the look on his face--he is having a BLAST!

At the tournament, I was completely surprised by his increased speed. I felt like he had simply cranked it up a notch, for no apparent reason. But in calmer moments after the tournament, I realized that I shouldn't have been surprised at all. There were some very specific things that contributed to his running like a bat out of hell to the box, and then returning to me, all pants-o-fire:

1. I ran him without a harness. I first tested this in Abbotsford in December. On day 1 of the tournament, I ran him with his harness. But after hearing about a former teammate's dog running 4 seconds that day, I asked what she'd done to improve her dog's times. Among other things, she'd starting running her w/o a harness. On day 2 of the tourney, I tried that, and Wyatt's times were as good that day as they'd been on day 1 (and usually he slows down on day 2, understandably.) I made a mental note to run him w/o a harness at our next tourney...which I did, with very happy results! Some dogs need to run in a harness--they're hard to control or hold onto, they pull on their collars and choke themselves, etc. But Wyatt is perfectly fine w/no harness, so from now on at tournaments, it's off!
2. I had cranked up his conditioning. Again, this was something I'd implemented so many months ago, that I'd actually forgotten about it. But I had noticed that in our evening game of frisbee, Wyatt was more often than not getting out ahead of my throw, with enough time to turn and face me to catch the disk. I changed the timing of my throws so that he has to really haul a$$ to catch it--which has apparently improved his acceleration and his endurance. Yippy!
3. We were running against faster dogs. Our team was running in Division 2, but we ended up racing Division 1 teams quite a bit. Mr. Competitive, Wyatt loves to race the dog in the other lane. And he ran as start dog for the entire tournament, so each time, he could clearly see his competitor in the other lane...and in that situation, Wy-Wy will do whatever he can to beat the other dog to the box.
4. I found a better toy. I've been working constantly, since we started competing in tournaments, to find a reward toy that Wyatt is crazy for. I keep tweaking it, knowing what he likes and doesn't like, and each time I get a little closer to Wyatt's perfect reward. It's an important thing in Flyball, since you have to find something they like better than the tennis ball, but not so much that they completely lose their minds over what you have, to the point where it ruins their performance. A fellow teammate found a way to secure a Cuz dog toy to a tug, by squeezing the Cuz into a Hol-ee Roller, then tying a fleece tug onto the Hol-ee Roller. He LOVES it!

All that, plus his box turn, made him a pretty formidable opponent. It was so much fun! But believe me, I know how temporary and precious this time is...he's in his prime now, and he loves this game. That won't last, so I am feeling beyond grateful to be able to play like this now.

Front Yard, April

Here's the front yard today, April 6, 2009. Doesn't look like much, but there's a lot of potential! On the far left is some bush that someone probably knows the name of...it's blooming. And on the far right, in shadow, is the lovely daphne...wonderfully fragrant. I love my daphne.

If you look closer, you can see my rose "garden". Okay, it's three rose bushes. The far left one was here when we moved in. It has deep red blooms. In the center is a Marilyn Monroe--peachy, pretty blooms. The far right is a First Prize, which has bright pink blooms. I pruned them all not long ago (when the forsythia out back started blooming b/c that's when my friend the internet said to prune your roses.) But all three have a healthy amount of new growth coming on.

Also making an appearance early in the season is my single peony. It's pink. I moved it from the backyard b/c it didn't do very well, being run over by dog paws all the time. It made a nice showing last year (its first year since being moved), so I'm hoping that this year it comes back even stronger.

California poppies (orange) are also coming up. Actually, they never went away. Even in the snow, they just kind of hunkered down, like the determined little green weeds that they are.

And speaking of determined weeds, my echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) is already poking its head up. I planted these from seed last year, but got them out too late in the season for them to do much. More hope for a better show this year. The last time I had one of these was when we lived in Shoreline. I found a large specimen on sale, so I brought it home and put it out in the front yard. The following year we adopted Smokey (Keeshond)...imagine my horror when I looked out the front window to see him trotting around with my gorgeous echinacea hanging from his jaws like some downed gazelle. That horror was matched only by my delight the following spring, when I saw that every little piece of echinacea root that had been left in the ground began sprouting a new little echinacea plant. Instead of one large plant, Smokey's puppy destructiveness had left me with dozens. (Nevertheless, my current echinacea crop is safely tucked in the FRONT yard.)

And my shasta daisies, also started from seed last summer. They also have stayed low and green all winter long, but I think they're starting to feel it's safe to rise up a bit. Can't wait to meet them in full bloom!

And completely hidden from view are all of my dahlias. I love 'em to death, but we won't be seeing them anytime soon. Whimps.

This shot is from 13 months ago. I want to point out the "beforeness" of the grass, vs. the "afterness" in the shot at the top of this post. All that raking, moss killing, and de-thatching seems to have paid off.

Little K

K for Komfort, little for 17 feet. Meet my pride and joy, Little K:

I drove DH's truck, pulling Little K for the first time today. DH drove us over to the community college parking lot (just down the street), and then I took the wheel and practiced driving and backing up.

Given that the backing up a trailer thing is 100% counter-intuitive, I struggled quite a lot. But DH was very patient (and I was patient with myself), we didn't keep at it for too long, and we never felt the need for a divorce attorney. It was a good start. So I'll just practice a lot and hopefully I'll get the hang of it by the first part of June, when I plan to drive the rig (tee-hee...I have a "rig"!) up to Canada for a Flyball tournament.

Just picture it...me, Wyatt, and Raff, rolling down the road, on our way to barking mad fame and glory. We'll stay in comfort (er, I guess that should be Komfort) in the parking lot at the tournament arena, with all the other Flyball die hards.

Wyatt can sleep under the dinette, and Raff can sleep wherever he likes. Probably on my head.

I am very excited. I am not a huge fan of traveling...okay, I hate it to the point of give-me-drugs-now anxiety. I can only handle going to Flyball tourneys because I can bring a dog or two along. But for the most part, the thought of leaving my hearth and home is completely abhorrent to me. Now, however, I'll never be without my home again.

From now on, my travels will all be done BYOH...bring your own home.

Spring and updates

Looks like spring is definitely here...although in this part of the country, waiting for spring is not as "iffy" a prospect as it used to be in Northern WI.

Today is a wet, cold day, but the plants and trees still know that April's just around the corner. The forsythia is busting out in the backyard, and our daphne is stinking (in a good way) up the whole front yard.

The pear tree and the cherry tree have tons of blossoms just ready to bloom. In another couple of weeks, everything will be completely gorgeous. My drive to work, my walks with Boca, even crossing the yard to get into the car every morning will be amazing.

Nothing wrong with that.

Spring also means that I'm busy at work--hence the lack of recent blog posts. Apparently, whatever brain-energy I have for updating the blog is also used for my job. That's fairly unfortunate, but it won't last forever. And these days, having a job is something to be grateful for (although, given a choice, I still prefer being grateful for lilac bushes.)

DOGS: I've started teaching the new dog class for our Flyball club. It's a good group, and so far, I'm enjoying it. I also have to miss the first Flyball tournament in months because of my JOB. Not bitter...no, not me. Not bitter at all. Fine with it. No problem.

FOOD: Sad to say, I've been eating everything in sight. That ends up being the last bargain I can make with myself, to coax myself to do the work that I get paid to do. But that won't last forever...it's already getting old.

DIRT: I managed to prune the rose bushes out front, and I've made plans for a green chili patch in the backyard (the small area still fenced off from the dogs).

Cake in a Mug (Low Carb)

The other day I was winging about wanting cake and not having cake and obsessing on cake and where the hell is the cake (etc., ...you get the idea...), when my friend and co-worker suggested that I could make a low carb version of "Cake in a Mug" when I got home. To which I replied, "A who-in-a-what?" And so she sent me the link: Cake in a Mug.

So tonight, still jonesing for some CAKE, DANG IT, I tried it, modifying it for my low carb world. I also added a dash of salt (because I'm me) and threw in some yummy chocolate chips b/c just cocoa with Splenda can be a bit sad. And it worked! It was absolutely fabulous! Cake craving totally handled, thank you very much!

LOW CARB CAKE IN A MUG

1 well-beaten egg
3 T milk
3 T oil
4 T almond flour
4 T Splenda
2 T cocoa (sifted)
dash of salt
small handful of chocolate chips
1 large coffee mug, empty

Beat egg in mug (my pal, Tiny Whisk, to the rescue again). Add milk and oil, mix well. Then add dry ingredients, mix well. Toss in the chocolate chips, stir, and then microwave for 3 minutes on high. Cake will rise out of the mug while cooking, but that's okay, it won't spill over...it's baking. Turn out the baked mug cake onto a saucer, let cool a bit, and then EAT IT. Be very happy. Make mental note to thank Shanan again and again and again.

Freshly baked Cake in a Mug, just turned out onto a saucer.


If you break it apart, it cools faster, and so you can eat it sooner!

Really, you could do this recipe for almost any dietary restriction. DH is about to make one using regular sugar and rice flour (since he's not worrying about carbs, but needs it gluten free.) So handy, so quick, so satisfying.

The Wonderful World of Slipcovers

With the previously discussed dog paws and muddy backyard, and given the fact that the dogs have the run of the house and are allowed on the furniture, you can probably imagine that keeping the furniture in any sort of presentable state is quite challenging.

Years ago, we started using slipcovers...an obvious solution, since stuffing a whole couch into the washing machine is not very practicle.

But slipcovers have always had their drawbacks. Sure, they look nice and tidy, until you (doG forbid!) sit on them, and then your whole living room looks like an unmade bed. And all that endless tucking and tucking and tucking! How many fingernails have I bent backwards, all in the name of creating a rumple-free appearance for ten fleeting seconds?

Enter the modern age of slipcovers and the latest in slipcover technology: stretch fabric and the separate seat slipcover! As a long-time slipcover aficionado, of course I receive the Sure Fit, Inc. catalogue. Imagine my feelings of delight and awe when I first saw these amazing products.

A year ago, I bought two sets for the L-shaped couch in our living room. Long experience taught me how to select the color: shades of dog fur and dried mud. I ordered swatches that (from the on-line pic's) seemed promising, and when they arrived, I laid them out neatly on the dirtiest part of our old, floppy, wrinkled, once-cream-colored slipcovers. The Stretch Pique in taupe was the winner. It was light enough to hide the white dog fur, dark enough to hide the black dog fur, and muddy-colored enough to allow us weeks or even months between washings. Happiness! I paid full-price ($130 each...ouch), but they were worth it!

That left the loveseat by the sliding glass doors in our dining area/family room. Underneath, it's a hideous, stained yellow-ish thing...which is covered with a sloppy, baby-s**t brown-gold-ish slipcover. It's a favorite hangout for dogs (who tend to hit it as soon as they come in from outside--it is next to the sliding glass doors, afterall), and humans alike (I sit there every morning to drink my tea--I've switched from coffee to tea, but that's another story.) Its popularity means it's always both mussed up AND filthy. Awesome:
I didn't want to go with the taupe again...I mean, some variety is called for, isn't it? Also, I just couldn't stomach laying out another $110 (the price-break they give you on the smaller loveseat covers) on home decor, when I could use that same $110 for a hotel at a Flyball tourney, or 5 1/2 months Flyball dues, or a new dog crate, or some other worthwhile expense.

So it must have been fate that made Sure Fit, Inc. send me an email, just after I'd finished our income tax returns (refund, cha-ching!), which featured a 20% off coupon that was usable on clearance items...and there, when I clicked on the clearance tab, was the Stretch Elegance Separate Seat slipcover for a loveseat, in gorgeous mocha. One American Express card and 9 calendar days later, this beauty was mine, for half-price--including shipping!

It's darker than is truly practical for white dog fur, so we will have to be a little more studious about fur removal (I'm thinking one of these once a week might do the trick). But the price was right, and it really neatens up that area.

I get a feeling of...I can only describe it as relief, when I see a tidy space where there was once a distressing mess. My eyeballs just go, "aaaaahhhhh." I love that feeling.

Easy Crockpot Soup!

This is my method for making soup in the crockpot. Prep time is pretty minimal, the meat turns out fabulously tender, and the broth is tasty and wonderful. I think I came up with this method on my own, but I could have read about it somewhere, then forgot about it, then had the latent memory resurface, which allowed me to think I made it up. In that case, apologies to the actual creator.

First, get all of your materials in order:

YOUR HELPER

MEAT IN CROCKPOT

(note, you don't have to thaw OR brown the meat...just throw it in)

this is 1 pound of stew meat, crockpot has been sprayed w/non-stick stuff

SEASONINGS

for beef soup, I use:

Tamari (1/4 c?)

Olive Oil (1/4 c?)...also depends on how much fat the meat has on it

Kosher Salt (1 T?)

Fresh Ground Black Pepper (1 t?)

Measurements have ? marks b/c I kind of just eyeball it.

VEGETABLES:

3 carrots

3 stalks celery

1/2 an onion

1/2 can (16 oz) tomatoes

1 c? frozen green beans, cut to bite size

2 t. minced garlic

Of course, you can use any veggies you like. Add mushrooms. Add potatoes. Whatever.

NOW PUT IT ALL TOGETHER:

I add the seasonings, olive oil, and tamari to the veggies, and mix that up well, then dump the lot over the meat in the crockpot. Then put the lid on, set it at LOW, and walk away for 8 hours or so. When you come back, the whole mass will be cooked.

(Note: you have not added any other liquid!)

Once the whole mass is cooked, stir it up, break up the meat into smaller pieces if you like, and NOW, only NOW, do you add extra liquid.

I pour in hot water until the broth tastes like I want it to taste.

GO SLOWLY...DON'T WATER IT DOWN TOO MUCH.

Sometimes I have to add more salt, sometimes I add a bit more beef broth instead of just water.

Whatever makes it taste the way you want.

CHICKEN VARIATION

Skip the tamari,

add a teaspoon? of poultry seasoning instead

3 frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breasts

use a bit more olive oil (1/3 c?) since the chicken has so little fat

cook on high for 1/2 the time or less