Author Archives: wendynewell

Super Duper

03 Friday May 2013

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On the look out for bad guys.

On the look out for bad guys.

I saw Iron Man 3 this morning.  I liked it.  Not my favorite Iron Man movie but well worth my movie and popcorn money!  I may have been the only woman in the audience and therefore the only one charmed by Mr. Tony Stark.  There were a number of times I was giggling and I could feel the eyes of the Marvel believers around me trying to shoot laser beams into me.  I don’t know why.  The character is funny … weirdo nerds (said the woman who got up early to go see the first showing of Iron Man).

Would there even be a successful Iron Man movie franchise without Robert Downey Jr.?  Maybe.  I suppose they’d find some other charming Hollywoodian to portray Stark, but it just wouldn’t be the same.  No matter his faults that Robert Downey is a good little actor!  He even makes me forget about how much I loathe Gwyneth Paltrow.  So thank you Robert Downey Jr. for bringing Iron Man to life (well and Stan Lee, those other guys at Marvel, all those folks that worked on the movie …. you know … the little people).

photo (6)The previews, and there were many, shown this morning were jam-packed with super hero movies so I came home and immediately made Riggins dress up in a cape to take pictures with me.  Well actually his cape is Super Girl’s skirt but don’t tell him that.

* Different topic.  I don’t know what accent those Smith boys are sporting in After Earth but I don’t care.  I’m in.  I heart all the Smiths …. every single one of them.  Whipping their hair, fighting aliens, fighting computer generated creatures, karate chopping.  I love it all!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Extra pic: This obviously isn't Riggins. It's baby Gavin wearing the cape I had made him. I like capes.

Extra pic: This obviously isn’t Riggins. It’s baby Gavin wearing the cape I had made him. I like capes.

Bar Method – Connecting my Brain with my Body

02 Thursday May 2013

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I’ve written a lot about Bar Method (here, and here, and here, and here), so you know it is my exercise of choice. You also know that it was not/is not easy for me! When I took my first class on 9/8/2009 I was super cocky. After all I was a triathlete. What did I have to fear? I promptly almost threw up 1/2 way through class! After nearly passing out I walked out of class into the waiting room where one of the owners (although I didn’t know that at the time) Kate, came out to check on me and Mason (who I also didn’t know at the time and wasn’t even the super star teacher he is now) promised me it got easier. I must have looked as bad as I felt.

Just a small sampling of the classes I've attended.

Just a small sampling of the classes I’ve attended.

Over the years I got better. Not great, but definitely better. I’ve admitted before I’m not at all flexible so it is a slow process for me. The day I could touch my toes I was elated. The day I got through all of thigh exercise without re-setting I was beyond happy. The day that one of the teachers said, “Oh my goodness Wendy you are at the tall barre.” I smiled like a cheshire cat. All of these things were HUGE accomplishments for me.

Last year I took a time-out from life (as you know). Due to travel and mental angst I didn’t go to class as often. When I left my job at the beginning of the year, I told myself that while I was looking for my new career I would take Riggins up Runyon and go to Bar Method as much as possible. My health and happiness was going to come first … dang gumit!

Going back “full-time” to Bar Method was not easy. I re-dedicated myself to 3 or 4 times a week. If I was insane, or it was raining and I couldn’t do other activities, I’d bump that number to 5. It took me a long time to get back to where I thought I had been before (minus the gumption to stay in thigh … man I hate thigh). It was heartbreaking how hard it had become again but I wasn’t going to give up.

This week I made myself a vow to step it up to the next level. Riggins is still limping so my daily trips up Runyon or my run around Silver Lake isn’t happening. I have no excuse not to give 100% in my evening Bar Method classes. I can’t rely on the crappy excuse that I was up early spending an 1 and 1/2 hours hiking up and down a mountain with a dog or two, so didn’t have to work as hard. I needed to dive deeper into Bar to move to the next level. This week during class I realized what I had been missing. I was missing the mental aspect of class. It took me this long (4 months) to shake the self-doubt and general unhappiness I had last year and to refocus on what I was doing for myself. My body wasn’t the only thing in the game anymore. My head was back in it as well!

Concentrating really hard on controlling my shaking hand.

Concentrating really hard on controlling my shaking hand.

Let me tell you it is tough! I’m back to hurting every day after I work out. Something somewhere hurts every day. The good hurt. When I leave the parking lot and put that little parking ticket in the machine to let me out, my hand is still shaking from how hard I worked. Tonight I went to meet a friend for a drink and had a hard time holding the wine glass correctly without it slopping all over the place because of my STILL shaking body (1 1/2 hours after class had ended). What has changed exactly:

  • I force myself to always take the “extra challenge” in class. Extra challenges make the hard movements even more difficult. I’ve always been good at taking some but now I at least try them all … well most of them. I mentally give myself a point for every challenge I try, and two points if the instructor gives me a “wow Wendy” or “way to take the challenge Wendy.”
  • I demand that I can do better for each move that I hate. Thigh in wide second …. hate … go deeper. Pretzel … hate … move my knee back further. Arabesque … hate … get that leg higher. I’m constantly trying to check to see if I’m doing the most I can. It’s a pain in the butt … sometimes literally. It IS not easy to keep that up for an entire hour. I can also feel more of my muscles working beyond just the “main” ones that exercise focus’ on which means overall I’m getting more bang for my buck.
  • I try to stop caring about the counting (just get me to the last number … please) but instead try to listen to the music. This was suggested by the founder of the Bar Method in her last blog. It is working for me. She suggested it for thigh … I haven’t mastered it for that section yet. I’m in too much pain. In general if I feel I can’t keep up the level I’m at for any longer I try to listen to the music. This doesn’t work when that Barbara Streisand song is playing. That thing cracks me up and I have to tune it out.
  • I don’t give a shit that I’m not the most flexible, strongest or best in the class. I’m not. Nor am I the youngest, skinniest or prettiest. Who gives a flip? It use to really bug me that I would get so sweaty during class while the adorable young 20 something year olds glide through the movements with obvious ease and nothing past a lovely “glisten” covering their brow. I was the dancing hippo next to the lovely gazelles. I would get upset when I would read a review about the Bar Method that says it’s great that you don’t get sweaty. Were they on crack? And really what an odd thing to say, “this is a great exercise you work so hard you don’t get sweaty.” I get sweaty. Granted I get sweaty doing anything … a n y t h i n g … but that doesn’t make me any less of a bar-er ball-er. Now I purposely try to work so hard I HAVE to change my top after class because I’m such a sweaty mess.
  • I always use to play mental games with myself while I was running why didn’t I do that in class? Sometimes I pretend if I can stay in thigh the entire time the cute guy from Match.com will write me back (never works but it’s a good way to push myself). I will pretend that my friend I’ve been trying to get to come to class is behind me and I have to show her how it’s done.
  • I try to act as if the teacher is always watching me … the thought that they are makes me work harder.

None of this is earth shattering. In fact it’s odd I didn’t put two and two together months ago. Again I blame everything on my horrible last year. I obviously had to turn my brain off to survive and it’s starting to fire back up again!

One day I was walking back to my car after class and a young woman asked if I had been going for long. I said I had and then she asked if I ever feel like it is hard. Apparently she felt she didn’t get a workout and would now have to go to the gym. I told her she was doing it wrong. I was a little nicer than that but not much. I feel the same way when people leave negative reviews online (there aren’t many). It’s easy if you want it to be. Get your head in the game, and mind your positioning (aka do it right) and you will be shaking when you put the parking ticket in the machine too! If you aren’t feeling it you are letting yourself do it wrong.

I have followed this new and improved work out plan for an entire 3 days! Ha! I feel like I’m getting more out of it and overall I’m prouder of myself and find myself standing up taller. The best thing of all? Now I’ve written it down so I HAVE to keep it up or I’ll not only disappoint myself but I’ll disappoint you and we can’t have that!

Please share any tips you have on getting to the next level of your exercise of choice. I’d love to steal them! AND … if anyone can give me tips on how to get through dreaded thigh during Bar Method class PLEASE enlighten me.

The current Pasadena instructors (and owners Kate & Liz).

The current Bar Method teachers at the Pasadena studio. Source.

(Bar Method studios are all over the US & Canada. I have been loyal to the studio located in Pasadena, CA and can tell you all the instructors there are wonderful. I’m not the kind of person who chooses the class she goes to because of who is teaching it but instead I go when it is the best time knowing no matter who the teacher is, I’m going to be getting a good one. The two owners of the Silver Lake, CA studio used to teach at Pasadena so I can tell you they are also pretty brilliant.)

A Cupcake Story – Guest Blogger

01 Wednesday May 2013

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Anna and her family. 2010.

Annemarie and her family. 2010.

While writing my blog I’ve given you a number of recipes and cooking tips all with the caveat that I don’t cook, don’t bake, and don’t like it.  I realize this makes me a horrible source!   I wanted to let an expert give you her advice.  Well maybe not an expert baker but an expert mom for sure.  Annemarie is one of my dearest friends.  Not only is she a wonderful mother to her two boys, she is also a great friend.  Add the fact that her husband is super sweet AND will serve me wine while telling me all about it makes them the perfect family!  Honestly I could write all day about the fun Annemarie and I have had over the years but if I did that we’d never get to her guest post.  I’ll skip those stories so Annemarie can take over …

A Cupcake Story

I am a dessert-first girl.  I LOVE my sweets so today we’re talking cupcakes—actually, one special cupcake.  For the better part of the last 10 years I had been on a quest, a cupcake quest.  You see, my two boys have food allergies. My 7-year-old, Benjie, is allergic to peanuts. Josh, who’s 10, has multiple food allergies. His toughest allergies are to dairy (milk, cheese, butter, etc.), eggs, and all nuts. Pretty much everything I bake is dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free. From the beginning, birthday parties were challenging.  Josh can (almost) never eat the birthday cake, so it was up to me to find a replacement. I started experimenting on cake recipes when he was 1.  In the beginning he seemed okay with the bland vanilla cupcakes I made, but I wanted more.  I wanted him to jump up and down when he heard, “It’s cake time!” I wanted his cake to be as yummy as the one that held the candles.  I went back to my kitchen and tried again, and again.  When I’d find a cake recipe that showed promise, I would make my allergy-friendly substitutions—rice milk for milk, vegan Egg Replacer for eggs, Spectrum Shortening or Earth Balance for butter.  The cakes were all “just okay” and Josh could take them or leave them.  I gave up for a while.

Then I discovered that I could make Rice Krispie Treats with Spectrum Shortening or Earth Balance and Josh loved them! These became our go-to, all-occasion party treats. They were tasty and easy to make. I brought them to school to celebrate the boys’ birthdays and everyone was happy.  The treats easily transformed into hearts, pumpkins, dreidels, or Christmas trees.  They were fantastic…until they weren’t. After a blissful Kellogg’s year Josh had burned out on his dairy-free Rice Krispie Treats and I was back in the kitchen experimenting.

Next was the year of the “Perfect Sugar Cookie”. You know those sugar cookies, the ones in the shape of flawless flowers and beautiful butterflies. They have that smooth, satiny, multi-colored icing. I found an amazing sugar cookie recipe that Josh and I both loved. It was delicious even with my dairy and egg substitutions. Then, I went to Michael’s and brought home all the equipment to decorate the cookies just so. I watched dozens of You Tube videos to get the icing techniques down. And it worked! Those cookies wowed the crowd and I didn’t even have to qualify them with, “They’re dairy-free and egg-free. That’s why they taste like that.” There was just one problem. They took hours, sometimes days to make and decorate. It was just too much, especially when we had parties every other week. Eventually, I reassigned the Perfect Sugar Cookie to very–special occasion treat only.  It was back to the kitchen for me.  I was determined to find something just as good, but simpler. And I did!

A few months ago, I came across a quirky little recipe that was supposedly created during the great depression. It requires no eggs, no milk, and no butter because those items were rationed at the time. I tried the cake recipe and it wasn’t bad. On top of that it was ridiculously easy. I tweaked it here and there, adding more chocolate and more sugar.  It was pretty darn good but it didn’t become THE CUPCAKE until I added chocolate chips. Wow! The chocolate chips made this cupcake a winner! It’s super-chocolaty, almost brownie-like.  I pair it with a homemade vanilla frosting but it’s delicious even without the frosting.  It’s  a big hit, with everyone except Josh that is. He doesn’t like chocolate! I know, what? I’m experimenting on a lemon cupcake for him now. I’ll let you know how it works out.

I, for one, love this cupcake. Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP UntitledCUPCAKES

  •  1½ cups flour
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • 1¼ cups sugar*
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup soymilk (or water, or any milk of your choice)
  • ½ cup Enjoy Life dairy-free mini chocolate chips
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
  3. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until you get a smooth batter.  Do not beat.
  5. Stir in chocolate chips.
  6. Fill the muffin liners about ⅔ full.
  7. Bake about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

*This cupcake tends to be super sweet, especially if you add frosting.  If your palate doesn’t like things too sugary, feel free to reduce the amount of sugar or ease up on the frosting

Vanilla Frosting – Adapted from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook by Cybele Pascal

  • ½ cup dairy-free vegetable shortening**
  • ½ cup (1 stick) dairy-free margarine, softened**
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • ¼ cup rice milk, or whatever milk you like
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and margarine on medium speed for about 1 minute.
  2. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Pipe onto cool cupcakes and finish with extra chocolate chips.

**I use Spectrum Organic Vegetable Shortening and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks for the shortening and margarine respectively. If you like, you can use all shortening or all margarine.

Before I go, I want to give a shout-out to Wendy and Riggins for inviting me here today.  Wendy is my dear, dear friend.  We share a love of wine & cheese–as a meal, much-too-much TV, and all things arts and craftsy. I am honored to be blogging in her space today.

OMG – GOT

30 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by in Riggins

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Sir Riggins, first of his name, lord of the Isle of Squirrel, and son of Wendy the Amazing.

Sir Riggins, first of his name, lord of the Isle of Squirrel, and son of Wendy the Amazing.

(I suppose I should warn that there may be Game of Thrones season 1 and 2 spoilers in here. Although if you haven’t watched those yet that’s on you.)

I’m a huge fan of TV in so much as I watch a lot of it but I’m not a fanatic fan of any show. There is nothing that I “must see” as it airs. Frankly there isn’t anything that I can’t have sit on the DVR for a day or two. I blame Lost for this lack of enthusiasm. That show destroyed my TV soul. It was so aggravating. I remember reading an interview with one of the creators that it wasn’t their job to answer all the questions. Really? Then whose job is it? You need to at least answer a majority of the questions. That last episode made me so furious I could feel my blood pressure rising. Stupid Lost.

Riggins is not amused by me. I, on the other hand, find myself hilarious.

Riggins is not amused by me. I, on the other hand, find myself hilarious.

Most of the shows I have loved, Boston Legal, The Big Bang Theory, NCIS have been forced on me by others. I am drawn to them kicking and screaming that I didn’t need another TV show to follow and that I just don’t have enough time to give up to more boob tube action. Then I settle down and realize that the shows are brilliant and add them to my DVR schedule. Last year when I was very unhappy I was drawn to sitcoms. I didn’t care what sitcom it was as long as it was 22 minutes of easy to digest “humor” with a solid beginning, middle, and end, I was happy. This year I’ve been drawn more toward the hour-long dramas. Things I can settle in and get involved with but not so much that I can’t check Facebook or flip through Pinterest while I’m watching.

The Gogreve girls with Morgan. Cassie, Giovanna, and Shelby

The Gogreve girls with Morgan. Cassie, Giovanna, and Shelby

When my friends the Gogreves (better known to you as Morgan’s folks) told me that I NEEDED to watch Games of Thrones I tossed their suggest aside. They were brought into the GoT fold by their daughters and were mesmerized by the series. One day last week I went to pick up Giovanna and Morgan for some dog park time and she handed me season 1 on disc demanding I watch it. Here is the thing, Giovanna doesn’t watch TV. The ONLY series she watches are Nurse Jackie (she is constantly asking when it will be premiering) and Shameless. The fact that Giovanna had sat down and carved out enough time to watch not only season 1 but season 2 was not just amazing. It was as close to a miracle as I’ve ever come. That was what persuaded me to pop in disc number one.

Now I can’t stop! Darn those Gogreve girls and their dark magical powers of persuasion. It wasn’t enough they had to take down their parents with the series. Now they had me too! I can’t stop watching the show. I’ve given up my life and dedicated it to kings, queens, dragons, and wolves. I’ve NEVER watched a series one episode after another but I just can’t stop. It’s addictive.

No surprise the wolves are my favorite! In the first two seasons they are originally played by dogs but in season three become CGI, making them bigger and badder than ever. It’s my understanding that the wolves’ characters are much more important in the books. Giovanna’s mother is ashamed of us all that we dare waste our time on the TV series when the books are a million times better. She is probably right. 1. Because she is a mom and mom’s are always right. 2. Books are almost always better.

My favorite character is by far Tyrion Lannister. I’m madly in love with him. Sure he isn’t perfect but who is? He lives in a land where chopping off someones head is common place. In fact that normal argument of, “they won’t kill him off he is a main character” means nothing to the writers of The Game of Thrones. Tyrion is a charming bad boy with trouble written all over him which is, after all, my type (Sad but true. Admitting it is the first step to a cure.) It also helps that the actor who plays Tyrion is crazy good. Peter Dinklage can act circles around any cast member of Lost.

It’s only a matter of time before Tyrion comes up against Daenerys Targaryen (the character every man who watches the show falls in love with) and turns into dragon charcoal. The woman owns dragons. Come on. She wins! (I’m only up to season 3 episode 3 so this may have already happened and I don’t even know it.)

This entire blog is a really long way to tell you if you haven’t watched the series you should. It is worth your time. You can thank me by buying me a dire wolf or a dragon.

The Call of the (Urban) Wild

29 Monday Apr 2013

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Riggins harmonizes with sirens.  Not all sirens.  They have to be a specific pitch, but if they are he joins in as they zoom past.  This often happens in the car which amuses those around us.  You can’t make him stop even if you wanted to and why would you?  He is helping out our brave fire fighters, cops, and paramedics.  Here he is yesterday afternoon.  Note that Morgan and Miles (more on him in a second) think Riggins has lost his marbles.  Isn’t he the sweetest boy in the entire world?  I like the moment when he stops and snaps back to being Riggins.  It’s like he goes from Superman to Clark Kent in a blink of an eye.

Riggins and Miles fight for Wendy snuggle time.

Riggins and Miles fight for Wendy snuggle time.

Now the promised scoop on Miles.  Miles hung out with us on Sunday.  I nicknamed him Miles the Sweet because that is what he was … sweet.  He is part golden retriever, chow, and something else I can’t remember.  A true loveable mutt.  His fur is like silk so you can’t stop petting him which is a-okay with him.  He also smiles when he is happy (aka panting) which means if you look at him during a smiling moment, he will burrow his way into your heart.

Morgan, a notorious other dog hater, was mean at first but warmed up fast to Miles.  The two of them ran an uncountable number of circles around the backyard.  Morgan would follow Miles to the end of the earth … air humping him the entire way.  Morgan doesn’t know how to hump right.  This is a good thing as I never have to pull him off a dog … since he is never on one.  He skips the “mount” part and just stands behind the dog humping the air.  It is pretty darn funny.

Miles face looks a lot like Riggins did when he was a puppy.  It made me love him even more.  When looking at the pictures how do you tell Riggins and Miles apart?

  1. image (8)Miles has dark brown/black eyes while Riggins has pumpkin colored.
  2. Riggins has white on his chest and paws while Miles is all black.
  3. Miles face is tinier and younger looking than Riggins sharp angled snout.
  4. Miles has long flowing fur while Riggins‘ fur is shorter and lays close to his body.
  5. Miles is tinier than Riggins.

Miles, Riggins, and Morgan were the Three Musketeers yesterday.  Minus the time Riggins was howling and the other two thought he was bonkers.

Ignorance & KT Tape

26 Friday Apr 2013

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photo (3)I’m not an athlete (not the first time I’ve said this to you).  Just because I do athletic things sometimes does not mean I’m an athlete.  In high school I was that kid that did well in archery … and that’s it.  My sister was on the long distance running team but at that time you couldn’t get me to run longer than a mile if my life depended on it.  I recently attended my friend’s daughter’s (college) softball game.  I was mesmerized by the speed of the balls being whipped around.  As my friend’s daughter fearlessly ran, jumped, reached, leapt, and fell to get to the ball screaming past her, I turned to my dad, who was with me, and said “no way!”  No way would I EVER put myself inline with that speeding projectile!  If that thing was coming toward me I’d duck screaming my lungs off.  Not an athlete.

Later as an adult, as I got submerged into real life, I turned to exercise to help relieve stress.  Fitness was a welcome and happy side effect.  I now try to work out 6 days a week.  Again I’d like to point out working out on a regular basis does not make me an athlete so it seems completely unfair that I should sustain injuries like they do.

2 or 3 years ago I managed to get a stress fracture on the top of my left foot.  It’s a fairly common injury for runners and, at the time, I was running a lot.  Alas I didn’t land wrong while running around the Rose Bowl.  Nope.  I landed wrong when I misjudged the steps in the jacuzzi at Burke Williams (a local spa chain).  The doctor had me off my feet for 6 weeks and in one of those ugly black stabilizing shoes.  It was a drag.  Once you have had a stress fracture you are kinda screwed.  It tends to be recurring which explains why my foot has been hurting lately.  Pisses me off.  The correct thing to do would be to keep off of it, stop exercising, and pull out that ugly shoe from the back of my closet.  It just sounds so annoying and boring I don’t want to do it.  Instead I’ve been slapping some KT Tape on it and relying on the magic I know it possesses (btw – KT Tape doesn’t stick as well if you useimage (8) coconut oil as a moisturizer.  Even after washing a few times and pouring rubbing alcohol on your foot it still contains traces of coconut oil and causes the magic tape not to stick.).   Then I can continue to hike with the dogs and stay on tippy toe during Bar Method thigh exercises.  I can compromise and ditch the little running I’ve been doing.  Lately my shoulder has been bothering me too.   Completely unfair since I haven’t been swimming (sniff — I miss swimming).  So if someone could come over here and tape that up for me I’d appreciate it!  Just don’t make me wear that ugly shoe!

Have a Great Weekend!

In Memory of Mr. Squirrel

25 Thursday Apr 2013

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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

As you know I have set up the Death Race in my backyard.  It requires the neighborhood squirrels to successful bound from tree to tree to get a tasty treat with a dog (or two) barking up at them.  The Death Race has been set up for years and not once has a squirrel met his maker because of it.  Once or twice one has fallen during his jump, but all have managed to scurry quickly back up before nearing the sharp teeth of its predator.   I can’t say the same for other creatures of the backyard.  I’ve found a handful of dead baby opossums.  I assume the were playing opossum instead of running away which gave Riggins plenty of time to snatch them.  There have been 1/2 eaten snakes, and good ridden to them!  Every once in a while I’ve found a partially gnawed on bird.  I assume it was sick and couldn’t fly otherwise it never would have been caught.

Source

I don’t consider any of this death my fault.  I love animals and all but there is such a thing as a circle of life and I have warned these critters more than once, that they shouldn’t hang out in the backyard with the big dog.  It’s not my fault they don’t understand English and logic.  My neighbor has tiny little dogs and birds.  That yard is a safe zone.  Hang out there.

Riggins is a hunter.  It was passed down to him by his German Shorthair Pointer Mommy.  It’s why, when he has a stuffed toy, he will aggressively shake it back and forth … “killing” it.  It’s why he “skins” his tennis balls, methodically ripping off the fuzzy part strip by strip.  A domesticated dog is still an animal!

Yesterday Lousy was going nuts so I let him out back.  He made a beeline for some bushes.  Riggins had been under those bushes the day before so I figured something was happening in there.  He disappeared and came back with a squirrel in his mouth (This is actually shocking.  Lousy isn’t a very talented hunter.  His bounding makes too much noise.  Every time Riggins and Lousy went out back and there was a creature to chase Lousy would quickly screw it up and Riggins would look at him as if to say, “you have got to be kidding me.”).  I yelled and he dropped the still living creature giving me time to grab him and pull him away.  As I was thinking the squirrel might be okay Riggins came darting out of the house, through the back gate and straight for his prey.  Within seconds he had picked up the poor thing, dug his teeth in and whipped it around until it was a lifeless fuzzy corpse.  Lousy didn’t mind Riggins coming in on his kill.  Apparently he was under the impression they would share in the feast.  Not on my watch.  Circle of life or no circle of life eating a dead squirrel is gross.

I got Riggins down with the squirrel still firmly in his grip.  We then started the game I like to call “I always win.”  That’s when I stand over Riggins with my hand on his throat demanding he “drop it” and he ignores me until he realizes I’m eventually going to win and let’s go long enough for me to pull him away.   I did take a time out in the game to go get my camera.  I realize this is morbid of me but he looked so regal and Duck Dynasty-ish.  A hunting dog that Uncle Si would be proud of!  Sadly I didn’t get the picture I had hoped for.

Eventually I got the squirrel and threw him away.  I felt sort of bad for the poor thing.  He was actually pretty cute.  As cute as disease carrying rodent can be.

I’m sorry to Mr. Squirrel and Mr. Squirrel’s family.  I realize yesterday was a tough day for you.  In the future remember dog is god spelled backward.  You mess with one of them there is a chance you will meet your maker!

Wendy’s Life Choices – An Interactive Discussion

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

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wendy dogsI think it is fair to say that, although happy, I haven’t exactly made what some may consider the “right” life choices.  If you would have asked me as a college student where I would be at 39 the answer would have included a home, husband, kids and a brilliant career.  I have none of these things.  Oops.  So where do I go from here?

I propose the following …

MOVE TO A LOCATION WHERE I CAN HAVE SPRAWLING LAND AND RESCUE/LIVE WITH APPROXIMATELY 10 OR SO DOGS.

Your assignment:

  • Give pro and cons to this lifestyle.
  • How can Wendy earn a living given the above scenario?
  • Brainstorm on how Wendy can own a chunk of space that is both crazy woman and dog friendly in an area that is still close enough to a Target and movie theatre that Wendy won’t go even crazier.

Lousy’s Last Night

23 Tuesday Apr 2013

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photo (3)I have to admit I’m pretty torn up about this being Lousy’s last night with Riggins and me. Despite of (or maybe because of) his need to kill friends and strangers I just adore him.  Although he may want to kill you, he is a giant cuddle monster to me.  I can’t move far without his adorable little wiggle butt somewhere beside or on top of me.   Right now he is under my desk unhappy that he can’t be in my lap.  By far the cuddiliest dog I’ve ever meant.

Running the Rose Bowl trails.

Running the Rose Bowl trails.

Since he is three and is Riggins’ almost 1/2 brother he reminds me of how Riggins acted at his age.  Lousy is a calm bunny compared to Riggins.  At that age I could not just watch TV.  I had to watch TV AND throw a ball down the hall over and over again.  Lousy will happily curl up and go to sleep at bedtime.  At his age Riggins would grab a squeaky ball and sprint around the house while I prayed to every god I don’t believe in to get him to stop.  In the morning Lousy will happily jump up on my bed and curl up at me knees for a few more zzzzzs.  At that age Riggins would be up and ready to go.  I’d have to semi-tackle him and soothingly pet and murmur statements of love to get him to settle down for a bit more shut-eye.

Almost 1/2 brothers at the dirty dog park.

Almost 1/2 brothers at the dirty dog park.

Riggins is older and calmer now.  MUCH CALMER and has been a champ with Lousy this week.  Although there have been a few warning barks, in general they get along great.  Riggins has even figured out how to use Lousy’s energy to his advantage.  Riggins will camp out on my bed or on my lap and when he hears something going on outside he will start barking letting Lousy know that he needs to check it out.  Lousy will then bound up from wherever he is and make a beeline for the door ready and willing to defend his new castle.  Riggins thinks it is great!  He gets to be the guard dog he wants to be without even getting up!

Runyon (It was hard to get him to leave my side so I could take a picture.)

Runyon (It was hard to get him to leave my side so I could take a picture.)

Tomorrow I’ll pack up Lousy’s things and get him ready for his parents to come home.  I’m sure he will be ecstatic to see them … but I think he will miss us just a little!

 

 

An United Stand

22 Monday Apr 2013

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Clean and Cuddily

Clean and Cuddily

As you know Riggins and I have had a doggie guest for the last few days. As a three-year old the unfortunately named Lousy, has the extreme energy level of a much younger Riggins. Recently Riggins started limping a bit so I put him on a long/walk and hike time-out. He has been spending his exercise time out in the backyard chasing squirrels or at the dog park. Lousy, on the other hand, needs some extreme tiring out. I have been taking him running around the neighborhood or around the Rose Bowl trails and up Runyon. Both dogs, no matter what their exercise routine, have spent valuable time outdoors and then feel like their indoor time needs to be spent snuggling next to me. Needless to say the two creatures needed a bath to make cuddle time more bearable for their human.

Normally, when I’m doggie sitting, it is an extra service and cost for me to give the dog a bath. This time it was on me! As I told my mother Lousy’s cleanliness was more for my sanity than his parents. I had hoped that Lousy would be a better bath candidate than Riggins but alas, I believe Riggins’ water anxiety was shared by his almost half-brother Lousy.

Almost half brothers united in their fight against the man (aka me).

Almost half brothers united in their fight against the man (aka me).

After coming back from the hill with Lousy I started to get the bathroom ready. Riggins immediately knew what was happening and took a solid stance on my bed. Lousy followed his lead and held firm at his own bed. When I went go get them I managed to get Riggins to budge and leave the protection of the bed/throne only to have him make a beeline for Lousy’s bed where the two of them put up a united front. It was the first time both of them could be found on that bed at the same time. If they were going down they were going to make sure they went down together.

I finally got them both in the bathroom closing the door and locking them into their destiny of being clean. First I got Riggins all bubbly and let him out of the shower into the bathroom, to chill for a while. His special shampoo (Yes he has special shampoo. He is a very fragile baby.) requires a 10 minute soak before washing off. While Riggins was in time-out bath mode, I got Lousy into the shower. As I washed him he pressed his nose against the corner of the door and wall sucking in the smell of freedom leaking in from the outside. Riggins stood on the other side of the door, their two eyes were locked on each other. I couldn’t tell if the two of them were plotting my punishment for forcing them to become clean or if Riggins was talking down his little buddy letting him know it would all be over soon. Once Lousy was finished I rinsed off Riggins and let the two loose. They ran around the house like they were on fire until they calmed down and accepted their fate as clean and wet creatures.

BATH PTSD

BATH PTSD

They may not have been happy with the whole ordeal but based on the muddy color of their bath water I would say my actions were necessary. Now both are clean and can be cuddled without me looking like I had been wrestling around in the dirt … well at least for right now.