Kitten Update.

The kittens are all gone. Except Lucy who is sitting on my lap right now but her new family is on their way to pick her up. I am keeping one and found homes for 2 but the others are going to a no kill shelter. I don't have to room or money to take care of that many kittens and the neighbors that actually own all of them don't want them. I think they will find homes easily as they are extremely friendly and get along with dogs really well. They are also good with kids. Maybe someone will pick one out as a Christmas present for a little girl. That would be nice.

BEAUTIFUL Day

Today has been interesting so far. I had to be at work at 6:45 so was up around 5. Then after work I got home and played with Tess and Chance. The plan for the afternoon was to CLEAN the house. It isn't super messy but I don't dust or anything like that often (ok- almost never) so I was going to really clean the house today. I started cleaning the kitchen and got a call from some friends to go to a movie. I decided that was more fun than cleaning so I changed my clothes and got in the car. About a mile and a half down the road I turned around. I didn't want to go to a movie. I didn't really even want to see that movie. On top of that it was BEAUTIFUL outside today. Who wants to sit in a movie when it is nice outside? I had gotten so used to it being FREEZING that I automatically agreed and should have thought about it a bit more. So I came back home called to say I wasn't joining them then changed my clothes again and headed out to the barn. No need to waste a nice day cleaning when I could be out working Titan.
So out I went. I got Titan out and gave him a super hard grooming- got lots of dirt and such out. Why is it when you groom a horse that has long winter do they always get dirtier before they get cleaner? By the end he was looking somewhat clean. Dust is dust and there is no use in stressing over it I think. So I wrapped his legs and we headed into the arena. We just did a short lunge session working on transitions and whoa. He did very well and seemed very happy to be back at it. For the past few weeks it was so wet and then it froze then if it was warm enough to work him it was muddy. So this is his first real work in about 2 weeks. We have done grooming type things and stuff like that but hadn't been able to get into the arena. He is still growing like a weed. His rump is now just about an inch or two shorter than me (I am 5'5").
You know when you ask someone to do something and they don't do it for days, then when they finally get to it after you harping on them they do a halfass job? That is very annoying.

No dice.

So it has been quite a while since I have put up a Titan post. I have been working with him it is just that nothing significant worth a post happened- until last night. So as you may recall back in October we had to put a wire in Titan's jaw to try and save several of his teeth. It looked like he had been chewing on the chain that holds the gate closed and got one tooth stuck then jerked back and did a lot of damage. So we had to put in a wire that went through his top jaw and around his front teeth- think of it like a yearling with braces.
So anyway the wire was to come of in mid November but since 2 of the teeth were still quite loose we decided to leave it for another 3 or 4 weeks, with me checking it every day, in hopes that those teeth would become more solid. Last night I went out to feed and everything seemed normal until I went to feed Titan. The wire had somehow been pulled down over his teeth so it was just a loop of wire going into his jaw. Obviously if he were to get that caught on anything he would have done even more major damage. I called vet but he was unable to make it out until this morning. I contemplated calling the other vet in town but he doesn't know much about horses in my opinion and I would worry that he would make it worse. So I decide that I need to at least cut the wire so that it is no longer a loop and then twist the ends so they aren't pointy. Easier said than done. Neighbor and T come out to hold Titan while I cut the wire and in many attempts to bend the ends I was not overly successful. At least for the night there was no danger of him getting caught on anything and the ends were short enough that he would not be able to poke himself.
Vet came out this morning, he sedated Titan and checked things out. It turns out that even with our best attempts we were unable to save 2 of his front teeth. Vet had to pull those teeth out. The only good news is that Vet doesn't think Titan had much use of those teeth since they were just being held tight with the wire and he has been keeping his weight really well. Which is saying something because he seems to be in the middle of a growth spurt as well.
Now it is just a waiting game as we won't know if we successfully secured his jaw to support his adult teeth until he is 3 or 4 years old. For right now he is happy to have his 'braces' off and is sleeping off his sedation in his stall.

I've Been Tagged

So I was tagged by Alissa at grace's birdcage wedding and thought I would play along. I am supposed to tell 6 random, boring and quirky facts about myself.

Here goes:
1. I do not like pizza. I never have. I like cheese, I like tomatoes and I like the crust but when you put them all together it turns into something not very yummy. When I tell people this they don't believe me- why would I lie about pizza? I usually explain it by picking 3 foods most people like- lets say ice cream, chicken and orange juice- you like all those but do you want to eat them in the same bowl? Probably not...

2. My grandma doesn't know how to spell my name. I know that isn't totally about me but she has never spelled it correctly and I don't have the heart to tell her now that I am 24 that she has been spelling her granddaughter's name wrong forever. (She also currently spells Boyfriend's name wrong).

3. I was 6 or 7 when I realized that there was no Santa. We were in the car just after Christmas and something just clicked. So I knew but I was afraid to tell my mom because I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I wasn't sure if she was in on it or not but Christmas was one of her favorite times of year and I didn't want to ruin it for her. I didn't tell her I knew until almost a year later.

4. I probably cry at least once a week. It isn't always a really hard cry- maybe just a tear or two but at least once a week I cry about something either happy or sad.

5. Sometimes I pick fights with people. Not fist fights or anything just little spats. It is some weird thing I developed in a not so great college romance where I would pick fights and I thought that if he still cared he would fight back. How messed up is that? I subconsciously do it to Boyfriend but he knows me too well and just says 'Do you really want to fight with me?' I always say no and that is the end of it. Boyfriend and I have been together for almost a year and a half now and we have never actually had a fight. That has got to be some kind of record for me.

6. I really like my nose, my calves and my ankles. When I was in high school I stressed about the same things that everyone in high school stresses about but one of my biggest things was that I was super self conscious about my legs. I have been riding horses my whole life and that of course means I have very muscular legs (read- not thin). Although very toned my thighs always bothered me. So one day when my mom and I were shopping I commented on how no jeans fit because if they actually fit my thighs they were way too big in the waist. I don't remember the entire conversation but in the end we decided that I had great calves and ankles- none of this 'kankle' nonsense. Also I have broken my nose 3 times and had to have surgery to reset it twice. It is straight and looks normal but if you feel it you can feel the ridges and breaks. It is kind of cool. That seems weird when I actually type it out....

So there you go.

I am going to tag-
Jean at Horses of Follywoods
Claire at Molly- Bitless, Barefoot, Treefree
Melissa at Diary of a Mad Horse Woman
Caroline at Smartie'sDiary
Daun at The Eventing Percheron
Cass at Shut Up, I'm Counting

The rules are:
* Mention the rules on your blog.
* Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
* Tag six other bloggers
* Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they are tagged.

Something Borrowed

So I am usually not really a 'chick flick' book reader but a few weeks ago I was at the bookstore working and kept thinking that I needed a new book. Then I rang up 3 people all within about 20 minutes all buying this book. They all said that friends had recommended it to them. They were all similar in age to myself. Then I went back to the break room for my break and had a text on my cell phone from C. It said "Hey look up Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin". To top it all off just 2 days before that a different friend was going on and on about how she loves Emily Giffin and that I should read her books. Plus this past summer I remember Yabo reading them as well and saying how good they were. So I caved and bought it and finished it in 3 days. Then I bought Something Blue (the sequel) and finished it in 4. I am not one to recommend sappy dumb romance books but these were witty and entertaining not to mention surprising! It was also very funny and it even had me cheering for the main character when what she was doing seemed totally wrong (i.e. sleeping with her best friends fiance!). Somehow she rationalizes it and you want her to win out in the end- only the end has a twist that I never saw coming! In hind sight I probably should have seen it coming but I was too wrapped up in Rachel's problems to consider the other side of it! So if you are in the mood for some light beach reading this is the one you should start off with.

From the back:
Meet Rachel White, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl- until her 30th birthday, when her best friend Darcey throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcey's fiance. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. In her wildest dreams (or worst nightmare?) this is the last thing on earth Rachel could ever have imagined happening. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so , she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk it all to win true happiness.


Then if you like that one move right on to Something Blue which is Darcey's side of the story and what happens after Something Borrowed.

Christmas Cookies on Crack

So today has been interesting. I am babysitting J and K (2 lesson kids) for the weekend. Last night we had dinner and watched a movie then they went to bed. Then today I was at quite a loss as to what to do with them. So we hung out and watched Harry Potter this morning (they got up WAY too early for a Saturday!) and then headed into town for lunch. We had subs for lunch then went over to the library for a bit where they each picked out a movie and a book. Let me now say that it snowed this morning and their mom sent no warm clothes other than their coats so we really couldn't do anything outside. After that we headed back here and stuck a movie in and listened to it while we made cookies (the kind you roll out and cut and stick in the oven, I am only so brave when it comes to a 7 yr old and a 5 yr old). After making cookies while they cooled we took Chance and Tess for a walk (or rather we did for about 3 minutes until they were both complaining about the cold that I sent them inside and cut the walk way short.
Then we made frosting. This was an event in itself. While trying to get the red and green food coloring out to make the frosting J discovered that I had neon colors as well. So of course we had to make those. Throw a 5 year old with sprinkles into the mix and our Christmas cookies look like they are on crack. There are neon green Christmas trees, purple snowmen, bright pink bells, and blue stockings. All in all it wasn't a bad day.

Happy News and Sad Tears.

So tonight I found out that one of my very close friends is pregnant! I am thrilled for her and her hubby. I think they will make fantastic parents and I already told her that I get to be an honorary aunt. I was with her and 2 of our other friends when she called hubby to tell him and then when she got to call her mom and dad to tell each of them. It was so exciting and so life changing but also for me it was a bit sad. As I sat there among the smiles and speaker phone congratulations and screaming I couldn't help but be sad at the things I will never be able to do. You never think about the small things like telling your mom and dad they are going to have a grandchild when you lose them so early. I think that this all may also have a bit to do with timing as yesterday would have been my mom's 56th birthday. I usually try to be a very happy and positive person but tonight as I sit here with tears streaming down my face I think about all that my mom and dad will miss. Sometimes I miss them so much I think my heart physically hurts.

The Learning Curve

Lessons I have learned in the past 24 hours about living with a Great Dane

1. Do not make a bowl of popcorn and set it on the coffee table and then go to the bathroom. When you come back it will be ENTIRELY gone.


2. Keep a towel on the floor by the water dish. Big tongue = Big mess.


3. Apparently the closet is a better place to sleep than the nice soft dog bed.


4. Letting a great dane on the couch even once is probably not a good idea because then he will think he can get up on the bed and even your lap when you are in a chair. You know 'if you give a mouse a cookie' syndrome?


5. A walk to the barn that should take 2 minutes in freezing cold weather will take 20 because he needs to stop and sniff EVERYTHING so please dress in lots of layers.


6. It IS funny when he gets really excited and races around the breakfast bar only to see a cat and try to so a sliding stop on a rug and knock over 2 dining room chairs.


7. Do not straddle him to put on his collar. When he stands up your feet will not touch the floor and you will fall over backwards.


8. Chance is SMART. He already knows he is not allowed in the U part of the kitchen at all (a great ground rule because he would be able to take things off the counter). If he tries I just say "Chance back up" and he backs out and sits down.
9. Danes are 'leaners' which I think loosely translates into 'lovers' as they just always want a cuddle!
   
10. When Chance thinks he has done something wrong he lays down and puts his head flat on its side without laying his body over at all. It is a strange position.

This is Chance's "I think I did something naughty" position.

I am totally loving this dog. He is fitting in perfectly and loving the attention. I am trying to pay Tess a lot of attention too because Chance automatically gets pet a lot because he is at hand level and I don't want Tess feeling left out.

PS I called the shelter today and told them that I was keeping him. He is all mine now!

CHANCE!

So I was supposed to go and visit Chance today and the lady that runs the shelter called this morning and told me that she had checked my references and that I got a 'glowing' reference from my vet. She also said that I was at the top of their list to adopt Chance (I was so excited). Then she told me that if I wanted to take him home today on somewhat of a trial run I was more than welcome to.

I went over to see Chance and took Tess with me. He is such a sweetheart! He thinks he should be a lap dog that can just cuddle with you all the time. After picking him up we met C in town to go to PetSmart to pick up an elevated bowl, a gentle leader (basically a halter for a dog just because he is so big) and Lots and Lots of food. I also got them each a chew bone. Since it is PetSmart the dogs got to come in and shop with us and Chance was thrilled. They were both thrilled when the cashier asked if she could give each of them a treat. I also ran into a guy that used to breed great danes and he gave me his name and number and said that if I ever had any questions to just give him a call and ask. Some people are so nice.

He was great in the car but since he is so big he takes up almost the entire backseat so Tess sat up front with me. When we got home we played in the yard for a while (with Chance on a leash since I don't know him that well yet). He met the horses and tried to lick Titan's nose. Titan wasn't sure how to respond to that so he just snorted and then went back to sniffing Chance.

Chance had a big lunch and is very quickly getting used to the fact that he can help himself to food when he is hungry, No more skinny dog! He and Tess are getting along great and he is learning to play gentle since she is so much smaller than him (his shoulders are almost to my hip).

He is slowly starting to listen to me a bit better. I think at first he was just too excited. We will be doing some refreshers on all of his commands. But for tonight I am content just to hang out with him and Tess on the floor and watch a movie or something as of right now he is in the living room on the floor pillows with Tess enjoying his chew bone. He seems happy to have a new family. I think that this 'trial' is going to turn into forever pretty quickly!

Foot in Mouth

So have you ever had one of those conversations that totally goes the wrong way? Of course when you try to explain things everything just gets even more twisted and confused. I had a conversation like that with Boyfriend this morning. I was trying to explain something and it just wasn't coming out right. Maybe I have a newer version of foot and mouth disease where you just can't stop yourself from saying stupid things... or when you say something and then try to explain it you just twist it around in a big mess... What do you think? Does tht exist?

New Discovery!

So recently K and I were watching last seasons One Tree Hill (thank you Netflix) and discovered a new artist that we LOVE! Her name on the show is Mia but in real life her name is Kate Voegele. She is only 20 years old and has a great fresh new voice! She is very original and on her CD Don't Look Away she even includes the mandolin and accordian. She has been described as the female parallel to John Mayer. Check her out!! (the title of this blog is a link to her page- I don't know how to make links in the text yet!)

Grey's Night!!

Thursday is one of my favorite nights of the week! The girls get together every week and we make or order dinner and sit and gab until Grey's Anatomy comes on. We catch up on each other's weeks during the commercials and chat about our up coming weeks. It is great to have a standing date and one night a week I know I will get to hang out with the girls. I love you girls!
(We agree that the whole Denny thing is weird but we are glad Hahn is gone. Next week looks crazy!!)

The Secret Bride

The Secret Bride is an amazing book for all of you historical fiction fanatics. It was written by Diane Haeger (who also wrote The Ruby Ring which is fantastic as well). The main character is Mary Tudor (King Henry VIII's youngest sister). It has drama, love and pain. Just read it- you will like it!

From the Back:

Mary Tudor, the headstrong younger sister of the ruthless King Henry VIII, has always been her brother's favorite- but now she is also an important political bargaining chip. When she is promised to the elderly, ailing King Louis of France, heartbroken Mary accepts her fate, but not before extracting a promise from her brother: When the old king dies, her next marriage shall be solely of her choosing. For Mary has a forbidden passion, and she is determined to forge her own destiny, through her own cunning, courage, and passionate boldness.

The Secret Bride is the triumphant tale of one extraordinary woman who meant to stay true to her heart and live her life just as her royal brother did- by her own rules.

Dog update!

So after some e-mailing with different shelters and 'foster homes' I have narrowed it down a little bit but also added one. I still really like Max, Bear, Amity and Goliath. (Boyfriend likes Bear and Max the best). I went to see Myles and although he was sweet he dragged me all over creation when we went for a walk outside. There were a few at the shelter that I liked but they were all younger except one called Kate who is a 3 year old lab and like 10 other things mix. She and I got along quite well and she was sweet but there were 3 other families that took her out for walks just while I was there and so I don't think she will be a the shelter long.


I only added one more to the list and his name is Chance. He is a great dane/lab mix. He is 4 years old and has great manners. He knows sit, lay down, stay, shake, etc (his foster mom says he is very well trained). He gets along great with dogs, cats and horses. He had a rough start and for the majority of his first 4 years he was chained out in someone's yard.

It really does!!

I just wanted to send out a quick reminder for everyone to get out and VOTE today!! I am getting ready to head out and do so myself. Vote for who YOU believe in! My choice is Barack Obama. Get out and make your voice heard. If you don't vote you are chosing not to use your power to impact our country. Also if you don't vote I don't think you have a right to complain for the next 4 years if you don't like whoever wins.

Lovely day.

So this morning K and I really did nothing. I spoke to Boyfriend on the phone but besides that and doing chores we just sat and read. It was a lovely Sunday morning. Then at 2:00 K, C and I went for a trail ride out around the pond (I love this place more and more everyday). C rode Hayley, who was a doll, K rode Rocky, who was a bit of an ass, and I rode Midnight (now being called just Night), who was pretty good over all but we had some issues jogging instead of walking once we were headed back in the direction of the barn. I really wish I would remember to take my camera out with me as there would have been some fun pics. We saw several deer and the horses couldn't have cared less. C was a bit nervous on the bigger hills but Hayley took good care of her.
There is a chance of me getting in another training horse soon which would be good because Joe and Hayley won't be here much longer. She sounds like she would be fun. She is little- only about 14.2 and is 7 but only green broke. I'll see what comes of this and keep you posted. Oh- Her name is Missy.
K has just informed me that she wants to take a ride in the washing machine to try and figure out how bras get so tangled. It is a question I often wonder but never got to the point of wanting to watch the whole wash cycle to figure it out.
Titan was super today. His 'whoa' has gotten really good and he not only stops on the voice command but actually tucks his bum a bit and stops on his haunches rather than pegging his front legs into the ground. I don't know if that made sense. He has now had a saddle fully on and didn't give it a second thought and just went through his workout like nothing was different that any time before. This week when K and I go out trail riding I think I will saddle Titan and take him along. He has been out there before many times but I want him to be very used to the saddle by the time winter comes and causes a large pause in my training sessions with him. I am not looking forward to winter...

Dogs...?

I am thinking about getting another dog (after I find homes for the kittens as I don't need this many cats!). I was looking at the humane society website today and saw several that might be good matches. Here is what I am looking for:

• I want something bigger (I am not a little yappy dog person).
• I want something a bit older (I don't want to do the puppy thing right now and I figure the older dogs are harder to place in homes because most people want a puppy).
• I don't want anything with long hair (picking burrs out of manes and tails is enough of a pain- I can only imagine what would happen with a long haired dog).
• It must be good with cats, horses, other dogs and kids. Obviously I have cats, horses, and Tess and though I don't have kids I hope that eventually I will and I don't want to have to give my dog up because by then surely it will be quite old and my pets are family. Plus I have lesson kids out here all the time.
• I don't want a roamer. I do not have a fenced in yard and our dogs in the past have never left the property- I don't want something that will wander and get lost or hit by a car.
• I want an indoor/outdoor dog. Tess is perfectly happy to spend the day laying out in the sun or sleeping on her big floor pillows. I want a dog that will be content to spend time outside everyday but that will sleep inside beside my bed.
  

These are the dogs I have found so far that might make a good match (none of these dogs have the no cats, no dogs or no kids symbols on their ads):

Above is Max he is a 1 1/2 year old boxer/lab mix. He is a bit younger than I was thinking but it says in his ad that he gets along well with other dogs, cats and loves kids. It also says he stays in the yard and has very good manners.

This is Myles. He is a 10 month old german shorthair/lab mix. Again a bit younger than I was thinking. He is house trained, great with other animals and kids. It says that his previous owners had him chained in the yard before they dumped him at the shelter. I wonder if that means he is a wanderer?

This is Omar. He is approximately 4 years old and is a lab/german shepard mix. His ad says that he is super gentle and very laid back. He is great with kids and listens well to commands and the only reason his old family gave him up is because they had to move and couldn't take him with.

This is Amity. She is a 2 or 3 yr old lab mix. Her description says she gets along great with other dogs and cats. It also says she listens extremely well and knows basic commands. She is already house trained.

This is Bear. He is a chocolate lab and is about 5 years old. His description doesn't say much except that he is like a big teddy bear and that he needs to lose a few pounds.





This is George. This is all his ad says: George is a big friendly lug who weighs in at almost 90 lbs. He is very lovable and playful. He is primarily a Chocolate Lab. He would enjoy a home in the country or in a large city yard.

This is Molly. Her ad doesn't say anything about how she gets on with other animals but says that she is super friendly and loves attention. It also says she is a dry mouth St. Bernard (which is why I didn't click on her at first because I couldn't deal with lots of drool but apparently she doesn't really drool).


Last but not least is Goliath. He is a lab mix and it says he is a gentle giant and is worth every bit of his weight in gold. He is happy, fun to be around, walks well on a lead, is very friendly and looks good too. He tops out at 98 pounds, and is just a hunk.

Any advice? I am going to go into the shelter sometime soon and check out what else is there that isn't online. I also want to talk to the people and make sure I find exactly what I am looking for. I don't mind training (manners, etc) but I would prefer not to start from scratch with a little puppy. I have been thinking about this for a while and Tess still just seems so depressed. We would both enjoy and benefit from adding another dog to the house...