This may be gross and most of you will probably say "what?" but I have to share:
Yesterday, I was walking Jessie. Since she has been sick for a while, I wanted to know how she was doing, so I was taking particular notice of the consistency of her bowel movement. And what I saw made me smile and I said "that's my girl. that's what I wanma to see." Then I thought of Ashlie and the fact that I thought of Ashlie made me laugh out loud. I just felt that Ashlie would understand me. I remember once reading on her blog...forgive me if I misquote you, Ashlie...since she has had a child, she is obsessed with poo. I just had a vision of Ashlie being really excited when Willow is no longer sick and her appreciating my happiness over the fact that my dog no longer had diarrhea. So, yeah, just wanted to share...
26 July 2007
25 July 2007
"It's that time of year...
...when the world falls in love. Every song you hear seems to say 'Merry Christmas. May your new year dreams come true.' "
Okay, so new years isn't here, but Christmas in July is! Happy Christmas in July. Yup, July 25. Unfortunately, this year we haven't gone as crazy as we have in the past. The mellowness of the holiday is for two reasons:
1 - We got Jessie and she has us pretty busy in readjusting to a new way of living. However, we both decided that instead of buying each other presents, that the doggie would be our present. So although she isn't red and green and didn't come in a bow, we have been playing with our Christmas in July present all month long.
2 - The spells of heat have made us very lazy and trapped in our bedroom (aka the cold room). And when it isn't hot, we just want to sit in our living room and be lazy. Yes, we are a lazy family :)
We have done a few little things. We decorated cookies on Monday. We watched Love Actually a couple weeks ago. We like to watch It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (in July and December). We didn't get home last night until late and we have group tonight, so it will have to wait until tomorrow. The only real thing on my list is that I want a picture of us with Jessie on her first Christmas in July. I'm not sure if she will let us do that.
For those of you who don't know our story and are wondering about this whole Christmas in July thing, this celebration is all about one thing: Tim and Melissa. The real Christmas in December is about the birth of our savior; Christmas in July is about Tim and Melissa. Two years ago, Timmy decided he did not like that I hated the holidays. He decided we would celebrate Christmas in July as a way of reclaiming holiday cheesiness for joy instead of sadness. We watched christmas movies all month. We listened to christmas music. We decorated. We set up a tree. We baked and decorated cookies. We sent out cards with our first official picture as a couple. We even went away for Christmas in July weekend and for our weekend trip to Connecticut, we remembered the miniature Christmas tree and our stockings full of gifts. Of course, the most important part of the month was "Christmas morning" and the present that awaited me at the bottom of my stocking. It was my ring.
This "Christmas in July" is the second anniversary of our engagement. So this morning when Timmy woke up to go to work, he leaned over, gave me a kiss, told me he loved me, and asked, "will you marry me?" Christmas in July is about us. It's a time for us to have fun and be silly. It's a time to reflect. For me, it's time to be even more grateful for Timmy. He is very intentional about reclaiming unhappy memories and situations and putting our stamp on them. Life is so much better with him. Well, it seems our Christmas in July present has to go outside and create her own present. Not as beautiful as a diamond, but it's the life we wanted and she herself is pretty darn cute :)
Okay, so new years isn't here, but Christmas in July is! Happy Christmas in July. Yup, July 25. Unfortunately, this year we haven't gone as crazy as we have in the past. The mellowness of the holiday is for two reasons:
1 - We got Jessie and she has us pretty busy in readjusting to a new way of living. However, we both decided that instead of buying each other presents, that the doggie would be our present. So although she isn't red and green and didn't come in a bow, we have been playing with our Christmas in July present all month long.
2 - The spells of heat have made us very lazy and trapped in our bedroom (aka the cold room). And when it isn't hot, we just want to sit in our living room and be lazy. Yes, we are a lazy family :)
We have done a few little things. We decorated cookies on Monday. We watched Love Actually a couple weeks ago. We like to watch It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (in July and December). We didn't get home last night until late and we have group tonight, so it will have to wait until tomorrow. The only real thing on my list is that I want a picture of us with Jessie on her first Christmas in July. I'm not sure if she will let us do that.
For those of you who don't know our story and are wondering about this whole Christmas in July thing, this celebration is all about one thing: Tim and Melissa. The real Christmas in December is about the birth of our savior; Christmas in July is about Tim and Melissa. Two years ago, Timmy decided he did not like that I hated the holidays. He decided we would celebrate Christmas in July as a way of reclaiming holiday cheesiness for joy instead of sadness. We watched christmas movies all month. We listened to christmas music. We decorated. We set up a tree. We baked and decorated cookies. We sent out cards with our first official picture as a couple. We even went away for Christmas in July weekend and for our weekend trip to Connecticut, we remembered the miniature Christmas tree and our stockings full of gifts. Of course, the most important part of the month was "Christmas morning" and the present that awaited me at the bottom of my stocking. It was my ring.
This "Christmas in July" is the second anniversary of our engagement. So this morning when Timmy woke up to go to work, he leaned over, gave me a kiss, told me he loved me, and asked, "will you marry me?" Christmas in July is about us. It's a time for us to have fun and be silly. It's a time to reflect. For me, it's time to be even more grateful for Timmy. He is very intentional about reclaiming unhappy memories and situations and putting our stamp on them. Life is so much better with him. Well, it seems our Christmas in July present has to go outside and create her own present. Not as beautiful as a diamond, but it's the life we wanted and she herself is pretty darn cute :)
19 July 2007
It's been a rough week for the Kaisers.
On Saturday night, as I left French Creek, I checked my voicemail to hear the voice of my dear boy saying, "Missy, I pulled my back at work and now I'm at the ER." What?! My freakout instantly began. This was my first time away from Timmy and for the last year and a half, I was paranoid that something would happen to one of us while we were apart. So, my first thought when I got that voicemail was, "this is why I didn't want to leave him!" Thankfully, God showed me right away how I was playing into the devil's games. I said a short prayer outloud, where I reminded myself - and God :) - that He loves Timmy more than I do. As soon as I got reception again, I called my boy. He was okay. He was on drugs and he was going to go home. Also, he wouldn't be able to work for a few days - and I was okay with that. Marti got me safely home where I gratefully rejoined my boy and my dog.
Then this afternoon, when I got home after work, Timmy and I noticed that Jessie was freaking out. She was licking her mouth non stop. She was licking the base boards and the floors. I thought maybe she ate something off the floor that tasted gross; she refused to drink water. I gave her some ice cubes. I know she loves them, but she swallowed them without biting. Her belly was growling really loudly, like when I had the stomach flu. She was hacking and belching. Then we noticed that her belly was swelling. So much for staying calm, Timmy and I start freaking out without wanting to let on to the other how freaked out we were. We call our vet; they gave us an appointment for Friday 9am - well, that's no good. So, Timmy goes online. He reads that dogs sometimes lick the floor when they can't find grass. They eat grass when they are trying to induce vomitting. So, we take her outside. She is eating the grass like some starved child - the only word that kept coming to mind was "desperate;" she was eating as if she were desperate for this grass. Timmy and I are worried. I tell him I want her to see a vet today and ask him to call his parents vet. I stay outside with the dog. I petted her and I prayed for her. She continued to eat, hack, and belch. Timmy was gone for a while and I was worried. He eventually came down. Timmy tells me that he was online again and he read about this condition called bloat.. Of course, this condition is fatal if it isn't addressed in an hour or two. The vet that Timmy called (not ours or rather what was ours) told us to come in right away because it is such a serious thing. So we went to the Old Marple Vet Hospital.
On our way there, Jessie threw up all the grass she ate. She seemed much better almost instantly but we still went inside. Within a few minutes they took Jessie away and it was three hours until we got her back. Thankfully, she didn't have bloat - a xray showed that right away. They did notice an obstruction of some sort, but they said it could just be gas. I thought maybe it was the dead bird :) Either way, she got some more needles. We left with more drugs to add to her existing medicine cabinet, and she's on a bland diet of chicken and rice for a few days. We were really grateful for Dr. Lee who seemed to actually care and who listened to us. The staff there was great. We have found a new vet. Can you imagine if it were that thing and Jessie died because the other place told us to wait? If this condition is the second leading killer among dogs and is especially common in the deep chested dogs like my Jessie... My goodness, I don't want to think about it. She is home, safe and sound, sleeping on my side of the bed while I type on Timmy's side. Unfortunately, Timmy still had to go to work. But I don't have to go in early tomorrow, so the morning will be time for Missy, Timmy, and Jessie to cuddle in bed together - ah man, what's become of me.
My heart goes out to all the people we saw tonight who weren't as lucky as we were. There was one girl. She looked my age. She came in crying. She was quiet as were the two guys you came with her. She kept crying and smiling at the dog - I think they were putting the dog to sleep. As soon as I saw her, I started crying. All I wanted to do was hug her. I don't remember ever wanting to hug a stranger so much. Then there was the family that came in with the beautiful husky. They weren't sure what was wrong with him, but he was so lethargic that his back legs were giving out. A short time later, they were joined by the rest of their family. Again, a 20something woman came in crying, and I started to cry again. Then the saddest - two woman came in. One of them holding a dog wrapped in a towel. Just as I started to cry again, they brought Jessie out and she "attacked" me. I needed to see her. All this sadness was too much. I needed to see my doggie. Later, Timmy told me that the dog in the towel didn't make it. That his family found him in the tub. Apparently his trachea collapsed; it's common among his breed.
Jessie's sleeping with me tonight. I want her to be close. Man, if I am this way after having a dog for two weeks, I don't know if I can handle parenthood...or maybe that's why I can handle parenthood.
Then this afternoon, when I got home after work, Timmy and I noticed that Jessie was freaking out. She was licking her mouth non stop. She was licking the base boards and the floors. I thought maybe she ate something off the floor that tasted gross; she refused to drink water. I gave her some ice cubes. I know she loves them, but she swallowed them without biting. Her belly was growling really loudly, like when I had the stomach flu. She was hacking and belching. Then we noticed that her belly was swelling. So much for staying calm, Timmy and I start freaking out without wanting to let on to the other how freaked out we were. We call our vet; they gave us an appointment for Friday 9am - well, that's no good. So, Timmy goes online. He reads that dogs sometimes lick the floor when they can't find grass. They eat grass when they are trying to induce vomitting. So, we take her outside. She is eating the grass like some starved child - the only word that kept coming to mind was "desperate;" she was eating as if she were desperate for this grass. Timmy and I are worried. I tell him I want her to see a vet today and ask him to call his parents vet. I stay outside with the dog. I petted her and I prayed for her. She continued to eat, hack, and belch. Timmy was gone for a while and I was worried. He eventually came down. Timmy tells me that he was online again and he read about this condition called bloat.. Of course, this condition is fatal if it isn't addressed in an hour or two. The vet that Timmy called (not ours or rather what was ours) told us to come in right away because it is such a serious thing. So we went to the Old Marple Vet Hospital.
On our way there, Jessie threw up all the grass she ate. She seemed much better almost instantly but we still went inside. Within a few minutes they took Jessie away and it was three hours until we got her back. Thankfully, she didn't have bloat - a xray showed that right away. They did notice an obstruction of some sort, but they said it could just be gas. I thought maybe it was the dead bird :) Either way, she got some more needles. We left with more drugs to add to her existing medicine cabinet, and she's on a bland diet of chicken and rice for a few days. We were really grateful for Dr. Lee who seemed to actually care and who listened to us. The staff there was great. We have found a new vet. Can you imagine if it were that thing and Jessie died because the other place told us to wait? If this condition is the second leading killer among dogs and is especially common in the deep chested dogs like my Jessie... My goodness, I don't want to think about it. She is home, safe and sound, sleeping on my side of the bed while I type on Timmy's side. Unfortunately, Timmy still had to go to work. But I don't have to go in early tomorrow, so the morning will be time for Missy, Timmy, and Jessie to cuddle in bed together - ah man, what's become of me.
My heart goes out to all the people we saw tonight who weren't as lucky as we were. There was one girl. She looked my age. She came in crying. She was quiet as were the two guys you came with her. She kept crying and smiling at the dog - I think they were putting the dog to sleep. As soon as I saw her, I started crying. All I wanted to do was hug her. I don't remember ever wanting to hug a stranger so much. Then there was the family that came in with the beautiful husky. They weren't sure what was wrong with him, but he was so lethargic that his back legs were giving out. A short time later, they were joined by the rest of their family. Again, a 20something woman came in crying, and I started to cry again. Then the saddest - two woman came in. One of them holding a dog wrapped in a towel. Just as I started to cry again, they brought Jessie out and she "attacked" me. I needed to see her. All this sadness was too much. I needed to see my doggie. Later, Timmy told me that the dog in the towel didn't make it. That his family found him in the tub. Apparently his trachea collapsed; it's common among his breed.
Jessie's sleeping with me tonight. I want her to be close. Man, if I am this way after having a dog for two weeks, I don't know if I can handle parenthood...or maybe that's why I can handle parenthood.
11 July 2007
Alrighty then...
For the last few weeks, I have been participating in The Truth Project, one of which is being lead at Blue Route by one of our members. Last night, we talked about science. It lead to a lesson on Darwinism and this was one the quotations mentioned:
You can imagine our shock. Kris's reaction was priceless. If you know her, you can ask her about it. This is a topic that I have been thinking a lot about lately. Mostly because I watch The View and Joy Behar said she could never vote for someone who didn't believe in evolution. So, it's been on my mind and I was happy to have that be our topic last night. Just thought I'd share.
Reference: Dawkins, Richard (1989), “Book Review” (of Donald Johanson and Maitland Edey’s Blueprint), The New York Times, section 7, April 9.
“It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid, or insane (or wicked, but I’d rather not consider that).”
You can imagine our shock. Kris's reaction was priceless. If you know her, you can ask her about it. This is a topic that I have been thinking a lot about lately. Mostly because I watch The View and Joy Behar said she could never vote for someone who didn't believe in evolution. So, it's been on my mind and I was happy to have that be our topic last night. Just thought I'd share.
Reference: Dawkins, Richard (1989), “Book Review” (of Donald Johanson and Maitland Edey’s Blueprint), The New York Times, section 7, April 9.
Reality Check.
This morning Jessie ate a dead bird. Chewed it up and swallowed it. We noticed that dead bird two days earlier. So, she ate a dead bird that had been rotting in this heat for at least two days. Reality check: Jessie is a dog; she is not "my baby girl."
09 July 2007
Memory Lane
I'm not sure exactly why I think of things sometimes. But for whatever reason, I was thinking of Boglins the other day.
For those who don't recall these fine toys, they were small rubber puppets shaped like foul swamp beasts:
What more could a kid want out of life?
A FREAKING GIANT BOGLIN, THAT'S WHAT!
That's right, these Boglins were more than twice as big. And what's more, the eyes moved from side to side with the flip of a lever. Truly phenomenal.
Of course, these thoughts lead me to the Internet. (Where all deep thoughts eventually lead, like the tributaries of the Atlantic Ocean.)
And on this search for nostalgia, I came across some other fantastic toys that cluttered my bedroom floor long ago.
Ah, Madballs. A glorified Nerf ball, complete with wacky names and scars. I personally had Lock Lips, Aargh while my brother was the proud owner of Snake Bait and Oculus Orbus. In fact, Oculus Orbus may still be resting comfortably in the basket of dog toys at my parents' house. Well, providing Chester hasn't since destroyed him.
I thought that Wolf Breath looked familiar, but I didn't remember having him as a toy. The only other Madball that beckoned to me like a Siren was Slobulus. He was very popular, and nearly impossible to find - even in consumer Meccas like Clover and Bradlees. Then it hit me, I had Wolf Breath in the Freaky String Blaster!
A cool plastic pistol grip ended with a Madball face at the muzzle. With a smooth pull of the trigger, Wolf Breath's mouth would open, his small red LED eyeballs would begin to flash and a glorious stream of Silly String would let loose from his mouth. Or that's how it was supposed to go, at least. In reality I think the silly thing ended up clogging more often than it fired. And what right minded parent would buy a replacement can of Silly String once the original was spent? Not mine, that's for sure.
Much preferable, I'm sure, to parents were the M.U.S.C.L.E. Men.
I truly wonder what genius inventor came up with these things. "Hey, lets make miniature space alien wrestlers our of peach colored rubber! Kid's will eat them up!" Because, sadly, we did. They were cheap, you could trade them with friends, and they were easy to bring to school for recess entertainment. (And by "entertainment" I mean ramming them into each other on the cafeteria table only to get bored a few minutes later.)
Of course, no nostalgic trip would be complete without mention of the most revolutionary technology of the day:
Photon wasn't just a toy, it was also a crappy TV show. But more importantly, it was cheaper than Lazer Tag. So Photon was the way for my brother and I. Each starter set came with a gun, a target and, most importantly, a Photon ID card. Few things make a kid feel so important like an ID card. Shoot, I was proud of my library card. Imagine how much more incredible it was to have a photo ID that identified me as a Photon Warrior!
What made Photon superior, in my mind, was the fact that you didn't need to have the target affixed to your person in order to play. Each gun was a self contained target and phaser. It makes me wonder what the purpose of the target was. I suppose it could've worked out for a base to defend or whatnot. But in our eyes it was just another 9V battery to wear out, so it quickly got left on the toy room floor. The phasers, on the other hand, were used far past even the time when they ceased to function mechanically.
Thankfully, Lazer Tag's prices eventually came down so I was able to get in on that goodness as well.
While Photon was mainly a brotherly diversion, it was Lazer Tag that occupied countless hours of play for my best friend Aaron and I. If Photon was magnificent for it's function, Laser Tag was revered for it's form. The sleek lines of the black pistol were truly a thing to behold. And the red LED's on the target eerily resembled (almost to the point of copyright infringement) those of Kit from Knight rider.
And, of course, Lazer Tag also had a wide assortment of awesome options. My accessory of choice (ie: the one that was on clearance at Best) was the Lazer Tag Helmet:
Helmets were like ID cards - almost always AWESOME. (Okay, go ahead, fill in your own "short bus" comment here.) But seriously, what better way to make a hasty transition into the world of make believe than to slide on a helmet - like Luke Skywalker when he first settled down into an X-wing fighter.
And I mean, come on, if you had to choose between wearing a cool helmet and this thing:
Yeah. No contest.
Well, I've wasted an inordinate amount of time on this post already, so that will have to end out trip for the time being. Long live the Internet. (Or not.)
For those who don't recall these fine toys, they were small rubber puppets shaped like foul swamp beasts:
What more could a kid want out of life?
A FREAKING GIANT BOGLIN, THAT'S WHAT!
That's right, these Boglins were more than twice as big. And what's more, the eyes moved from side to side with the flip of a lever. Truly phenomenal.
Of course, these thoughts lead me to the Internet. (Where all deep thoughts eventually lead, like the tributaries of the Atlantic Ocean.)
And on this search for nostalgia, I came across some other fantastic toys that cluttered my bedroom floor long ago.
Ah, Madballs. A glorified Nerf ball, complete with wacky names and scars. I personally had Lock Lips, Aargh while my brother was the proud owner of Snake Bait and Oculus Orbus. In fact, Oculus Orbus may still be resting comfortably in the basket of dog toys at my parents' house. Well, providing Chester hasn't since destroyed him.
I thought that Wolf Breath looked familiar, but I didn't remember having him as a toy. The only other Madball that beckoned to me like a Siren was Slobulus. He was very popular, and nearly impossible to find - even in consumer Meccas like Clover and Bradlees. Then it hit me, I had Wolf Breath in the Freaky String Blaster!
A cool plastic pistol grip ended with a Madball face at the muzzle. With a smooth pull of the trigger, Wolf Breath's mouth would open, his small red LED eyeballs would begin to flash and a glorious stream of Silly String would let loose from his mouth. Or that's how it was supposed to go, at least. In reality I think the silly thing ended up clogging more often than it fired. And what right minded parent would buy a replacement can of Silly String once the original was spent? Not mine, that's for sure.
Much preferable, I'm sure, to parents were the M.U.S.C.L.E. Men.
I truly wonder what genius inventor came up with these things. "Hey, lets make miniature space alien wrestlers our of peach colored rubber! Kid's will eat them up!" Because, sadly, we did. They were cheap, you could trade them with friends, and they were easy to bring to school for recess entertainment. (And by "entertainment" I mean ramming them into each other on the cafeteria table only to get bored a few minutes later.)
Of course, no nostalgic trip would be complete without mention of the most revolutionary technology of the day:
Photon wasn't just a toy, it was also a crappy TV show. But more importantly, it was cheaper than Lazer Tag. So Photon was the way for my brother and I. Each starter set came with a gun, a target and, most importantly, a Photon ID card. Few things make a kid feel so important like an ID card. Shoot, I was proud of my library card. Imagine how much more incredible it was to have a photo ID that identified me as a Photon Warrior!
What made Photon superior, in my mind, was the fact that you didn't need to have the target affixed to your person in order to play. Each gun was a self contained target and phaser. It makes me wonder what the purpose of the target was. I suppose it could've worked out for a base to defend or whatnot. But in our eyes it was just another 9V battery to wear out, so it quickly got left on the toy room floor. The phasers, on the other hand, were used far past even the time when they ceased to function mechanically.
Thankfully, Lazer Tag's prices eventually came down so I was able to get in on that goodness as well.
While Photon was mainly a brotherly diversion, it was Lazer Tag that occupied countless hours of play for my best friend Aaron and I. If Photon was magnificent for it's function, Laser Tag was revered for it's form. The sleek lines of the black pistol were truly a thing to behold. And the red LED's on the target eerily resembled (almost to the point of copyright infringement) those of Kit from Knight rider.
And, of course, Lazer Tag also had a wide assortment of awesome options. My accessory of choice (ie: the one that was on clearance at Best) was the Lazer Tag Helmet:
Helmets were like ID cards - almost always AWESOME. (Okay, go ahead, fill in your own "short bus" comment here.) But seriously, what better way to make a hasty transition into the world of make believe than to slide on a helmet - like Luke Skywalker when he first settled down into an X-wing fighter.
And I mean, come on, if you had to choose between wearing a cool helmet and this thing:
Yeah. No contest.
Well, I've wasted an inordinate amount of time on this post already, so that will have to end out trip for the time being. Long live the Internet. (Or not.)
I'm Ridiculous.
This bug season has been horrible. I was so excited last week when all the bites on my feet starting healing up. However, just as they were healing, we got a dog who needs/likes to walk several times a day including in the evening. It was so bad yesterday. Benadryl isn't working, or maybe, I'm just weak, or maybe I'm really sensitive. Growing up, I was told that the bugs like latin blood. Whatever it is, I have all these bites and all these welts over my legs and arms. Thankfully, not all the bites are agitated. I can see lots of bites that aren't bothering me. It was so bad yesterday that I decided the only way for them to get better is for me to cover all of them up with bandaids. Bandaids are fine when there's one bite rubbing against your sandal. One bandaid isn't ridiculous, even two bandaids aren't ridiculous. I have nine bandaids on: four on my left leg, four on my right, and one on my arm. And again, these are the ones that are driving me crazy and I can't resist scratching them.
Also riduculous - my nasty looking burn on my arm, next to my bandaid. How did I burn my arm? On the George Foreman grill. On this little countertop grill. Sigh. I'm a mess right now.
Also riduculous - my nasty looking burn on my arm, next to my bandaid. How did I burn my arm? On the George Foreman grill. On this little countertop grill. Sigh. I'm a mess right now.
08 July 2007
If It Sounds Too Good To Be True...
Well, we went and looked at the house in Folcroft today. It was certainly somewhat less than perfect, but after a few hours messing around with the IKEA home design software - I was actually convinced that it might actually work for us.
Then, this evening, we got an email from Iris (the realtor, and Melissa's sister-in-law) saying that the previous quote for mortgage payments that we got was actually flawed - the result of a system malfunction that occurred during a lighting storm. So instead of the payment being $540, it would actually be $872 a month. The former would be $110 less than we're currently paying for rent. The latter, $222 more. Sigh. That would be a real stretch even before we took on the added expense of a dog and her upkeep.
So it appears that we're going to be hanging out in our current shack for a while longer. The good news is that at least having Jessie around has seemed to improve relations with our neighbor. Silver lining. Or something.
Then, this evening, we got an email from Iris (the realtor, and Melissa's sister-in-law) saying that the previous quote for mortgage payments that we got was actually flawed - the result of a system malfunction that occurred during a lighting storm. So instead of the payment being $540, it would actually be $872 a month. The former would be $110 less than we're currently paying for rent. The latter, $222 more. Sigh. That would be a real stretch even before we took on the added expense of a dog and her upkeep.
So it appears that we're going to be hanging out in our current shack for a while longer. The good news is that at least having Jessie around has seemed to improve relations with our neighbor. Silver lining. Or something.
Our Dog
If you know Timmy, you know he loves dogs and he comes from a big dog family. I, however, reluctantly became a cat girl late in high school when "the most bootiful gata in the world" came to live with us. Up to that point, I was petrified of all animals and Midnight helped me overcome most of my fears.
I knew when I married Timmy that our family would include at least one dog. The question was when? In an attempt to hold back any baby desires I may have, Timmy developed the expression "YDB" - yard , dog, baby. The order of life for the Kaisers. Only problem with that was he really wanted a dog and we don't have a yard. So, everyone was shocked when we announced that Jessie had joined us - "you're out of order" they said. It's true. What can we say. Timmy's always wanted a dog. He held out pretty well until the Youngs got Moby. And when he noticed a moment of weakness with me, he took advantage of it.
We found Jessie online. She was staying at the Sussex County SPCA in Georgetown, DE. I left work early last Tuesday and we made the two hour trip. We told people that we were going to visit a dog, but we both knew that unless Jessie was evil, she would be coming home with us. And she wasn't evil. She was super sweet and we were in and out of the SPCA in a half hour.
This is Jessie with Timmy outside of the SPCA before getting into the car. She was scared.
We made our two hour trip back home. Within fifteen minutes of the car ride, she wanted to join me in the front seat. Instead I went in the backseat with her. She laid cuddled between me and the seat, her entire face hiding under my underarms. She's a snuggler and, for the most part, I love that about her.
First night at home. Jessie checking out our neighbors. Timmy took this picture because it is reminscient of Pork Chop the Dog aka "the best dog ever." Everyone who knew Pork Chop and sees Jessie is shocked at the resemblance. Apparently, Jessie is a miniature Pork Chop. I, unfortunately, wouldn't know. Sadly, I never knew Pork Chop.
Here's Jessie at the Kaiser home meeting everyone for the first time. She's shy and a little jumpy. We think she may have been yelled at or treated not nicely by other people. So, she isn't too keen on strangers and quick movements and loud noises freak her out. She has grown very attached to us, particularly me. I think it's because we bonded in the ride over and she came to work with me on Thursday and Friday. But don't get me wrong, her tail goes crazy when she sees Timmy.
Timmy told me that George would be really cute with Jessie, and it's true - he's really cute with her. She is getting better with him. However, she looks a little freaked in this particular picture.
We were hoping that Jessie would be able to hang out in the Kaiser yard until we got one of our own, but there's a problem. She likes water and wants to go in the pond. Here's Jessie stuck. She found her way next to the pond but couldn't find her way out.
Jessie's a happy dog and she's getting happier with every passing day.
For the most part, she is a chill dog. However, it appears that her main form of affection is to jump on you and nip at you. Timmy read that it may be the shepherd part of her mix. She likes to wrap her entire mouth around my wrists or ankles. She doesn't press down or hurt me but that's not a good habit to get into.
More resting. She's so cute.
But that's what Timmy pretty much wanted - a dog to play with at the park and a dog to watch tv with him at home. I like my new family :)
I knew when I married Timmy that our family would include at least one dog. The question was when? In an attempt to hold back any baby desires I may have, Timmy developed the expression "YDB" - yard , dog, baby. The order of life for the Kaisers. Only problem with that was he really wanted a dog and we don't have a yard. So, everyone was shocked when we announced that Jessie had joined us - "you're out of order" they said. It's true. What can we say. Timmy's always wanted a dog. He held out pretty well until the Youngs got Moby. And when he noticed a moment of weakness with me, he took advantage of it.
We found Jessie online. She was staying at the Sussex County SPCA in Georgetown, DE. I left work early last Tuesday and we made the two hour trip. We told people that we were going to visit a dog, but we both knew that unless Jessie was evil, she would be coming home with us. And she wasn't evil. She was super sweet and we were in and out of the SPCA in a half hour.
This is Jessie with Timmy outside of the SPCA before getting into the car. She was scared.
We made our two hour trip back home. Within fifteen minutes of the car ride, she wanted to join me in the front seat. Instead I went in the backseat with her. She laid cuddled between me and the seat, her entire face hiding under my underarms. She's a snuggler and, for the most part, I love that about her.
First night at home. Jessie checking out our neighbors. Timmy took this picture because it is reminscient of Pork Chop the Dog aka "the best dog ever." Everyone who knew Pork Chop and sees Jessie is shocked at the resemblance. Apparently, Jessie is a miniature Pork Chop. I, unfortunately, wouldn't know. Sadly, I never knew Pork Chop.
Here's Jessie at the Kaiser home meeting everyone for the first time. She's shy and a little jumpy. We think she may have been yelled at or treated not nicely by other people. So, she isn't too keen on strangers and quick movements and loud noises freak her out. She has grown very attached to us, particularly me. I think it's because we bonded in the ride over and she came to work with me on Thursday and Friday. But don't get me wrong, her tail goes crazy when she sees Timmy.
Timmy told me that George would be really cute with Jessie, and it's true - he's really cute with her. She is getting better with him. However, she looks a little freaked in this particular picture.
We were hoping that Jessie would be able to hang out in the Kaiser yard until we got one of our own, but there's a problem. She likes water and wants to go in the pond. Here's Jessie stuck. She found her way next to the pond but couldn't find her way out.
Jessie's a happy dog and she's getting happier with every passing day.
For the most part, she is a chill dog. However, it appears that her main form of affection is to jump on you and nip at you. Timmy read that it may be the shepherd part of her mix. She likes to wrap her entire mouth around my wrists or ankles. She doesn't press down or hurt me but that's not a good habit to get into.
More resting. She's so cute.
But that's what Timmy pretty much wanted - a dog to play with at the park and a dog to watch tv with him at home. I like my new family :)
05 July 2007
Missy's Odd Sights
I saw two signs the last two days that made me say "what?"
1 - Outside of a car recycling shop in Delaware: "Jesus recycles people. We recycle cars." Huh? What does that even mean?
2 - Outside of the Holy Trinity Church in Lansdale, there was a big professional banner that read "Under the same management since 1AD." You paid someone to make that?
1 - Outside of a car recycling shop in Delaware: "Jesus recycles people. We recycle cars." Huh? What does that even mean?
2 - Outside of the Holy Trinity Church in Lansdale, there was a big professional banner that read "Under the same management since 1AD." You paid someone to make that?
Odd Sights
I was driving home from work this evening and saw a sign out in front of a cemetery that said "Free Dirt". I suppose it's not all that strange of an offer if you think about it, displacement of matter and all that. Still, it just struck me as a bit odd. Hmmm.
Sort of Apologies
To those who read our blog and would prefer not to read something new every day about a dog: my apologies. But I figure I read enough blogs about children and the gross things they do, so this is some kind of blogging justice. Right.
That said - I've never been happier to be standing outside at 5:30 in the morning watching a dog pee. After another round of frustrations last night as Jessie first did #2 at my parents house, then came home and did #1 in our kitchen I was relieved (pun intended) that we at least would not have to worry about her messing in the bedroom during the night. So I got up this morning and, indeed, she had kept things clean. I got up, threw on my clothes from yesterday and took her outside. (And, might I mention, she now walks up and down the steps on her own - no more having to carry her like the first day and a half!) So after a couple minutes of pacing the front lawn chanting, "Just go pee.... Just go pee....," (as a website on house training said to do) she actually peed! This was followed by much belly rubbing & rejoicing, followed by a 15 minute celebratory walk around the block (again, per the website.) During this ensuing walk, she stopped and dropped a deuce after about 5 minutes. Again, I've never been so happy to see such a thing. Truly.
So now all I have to do is get ready for work and hope (for Melissa's sake) that Jessie isn't too wound up from a walk to go back to sleep for a couple of hours until Missy's ready to get up. (Did I mention I ushered Jessie back into the bedroom, as to avoid any destruction of property and/or hair on my uniform?)
Again, for those who would prefer not to read a blog about a dog's bathroom habits, I apologize. It's just where my world is at right now. :)
That said - I've never been happier to be standing outside at 5:30 in the morning watching a dog pee. After another round of frustrations last night as Jessie first did #2 at my parents house, then came home and did #1 in our kitchen I was relieved (pun intended) that we at least would not have to worry about her messing in the bedroom during the night. So I got up this morning and, indeed, she had kept things clean. I got up, threw on my clothes from yesterday and took her outside. (And, might I mention, she now walks up and down the steps on her own - no more having to carry her like the first day and a half!) So after a couple minutes of pacing the front lawn chanting, "Just go pee.... Just go pee....," (as a website on house training said to do) she actually peed! This was followed by much belly rubbing & rejoicing, followed by a 15 minute celebratory walk around the block (again, per the website.) During this ensuing walk, she stopped and dropped a deuce after about 5 minutes. Again, I've never been so happy to see such a thing. Truly.
So now all I have to do is get ready for work and hope (for Melissa's sake) that Jessie isn't too wound up from a walk to go back to sleep for a couple of hours until Missy's ready to get up. (Did I mention I ushered Jessie back into the bedroom, as to avoid any destruction of property and/or hair on my uniform?)
Again, for those who would prefer not to read a blog about a dog's bathroom habits, I apologize. It's just where my world is at right now. :)
04 July 2007
It's a Girl.
YDB has changed to DYB. It's true- we caved. Okay, mostly I caved.
Her name is Jessie. We adopted her Tuesday afternoon from the SCPA in Georgetown, DE. She is a rottweiller/shepherd mix. They think she is between 8-12 months old and don't expect her to be get much bigger. She's between 35-40lbs.
We'll tell you more about her and how she came to join our little family later when we have time to blog the new pictures. In the meantime, these are the pictures from the SPCA site that made us take a two hour trip to "visit" a dog.
Her name is Jessie. We adopted her Tuesday afternoon from the SCPA in Georgetown, DE. She is a rottweiller/shepherd mix. They think she is between 8-12 months old and don't expect her to be get much bigger. She's between 35-40lbs.
We'll tell you more about her and how she came to join our little family later when we have time to blog the new pictures. In the meantime, these are the pictures from the SPCA site that made us take a two hour trip to "visit" a dog.
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