Misc. Idle Chit Chat - Part II (The Sequel)

[JaymeK]

Deb, that sounds like a great "some of the family" get together. It's too bad your other son couldn't make it, but it is the time of year for lots of assignments!

I had a very scary and frustrating moment with Benson just now. We were playing in a park near our house. It is not an actual off leash park but a lot of owners bring their dogs to play. Benson's best friend Nanu is usually there around 5:30 when we go, but he wasn't there today. I was playing ball with Benson and let him take a break while I was playing on the swings for a minute. He usually sits nicely and waits for me then goes and chases the ball. Well all of a sudden he took off and ran to get some crackers that someone had left on a bench (lovely, right? Clean up your litter). I caught him and put the crackers in the garbage. Thinking that was the end of it we went and threw the ball around some more. Then he takes off AGAIN and starts running in between bushes.

He wouldn't let me catch him because he was looking for food that he could smell and knew he was in trouble. He ended up running on the side of the bushes very close to the road (the park is not fenced in, but that was never a problem because him and nanu always stay very close to us at the edge of the park that doesn't face a road). I started to get worried with him being a butthead and not letting me get near him and him being so close to the road. It is not extremely busy, just a typical subdivision road, but there are still a good amount of cars that go by.

I tried yelling at him with my sternest voice, I tried being nice, I tried holding a piece of food he was trying to get but he wouldn't let me catch him.

A lady must have heard me yelling and came out of her house worried that he would run onto the road while trying to avoid me. I assured her he wouldn't, then of course ate my words when not 10 seconds later he sprinted into the road. I screamed at him and the lady ran to grab him but of course he ignored both of us. A car was coming but luckily had slowed down and did not get near him.

In the end I stood back while the lady coaxed him towards her because it was VERY clear that he was avoiding me at all costs. I would just put him in more danger if I continued to chase him. I am almost in tears writing this because I am so frustrated with myself AND him. I should have leashed him the very second he ran for those crackers. I ended up bringing him straight home and yelled at him to go "park it" (lie on his bed). I understand that he can't make the connection that I am mad at him for what he did earlier, but I was just to frustrated to let him run around like he did nothing wrong.

We won't go back to the park for a long time, because he obviously has decided not to listen. Which is partly my fault. I haven't worked on his recall in a long time, as it's usually pretty good. I wish the fenced in off leash park was closer to us so I could take him, but I might have to start making the drive since it is much safer. I just don't know the dogs there and Benson has been attacked a few times.

I am so embarrassed that everyone in the neighbourhood heard me yelling and that my dog was not well trained enough to come when I called. Especially in an emergency like when he runs into the road. I am very grateful that lady was there to help and that there weren't more cars on the road at the time.

Anyways, that's my horrible story of the day. Benson is still sitting on his bed staring at me because it is his dinner. I will just have to act like nothing happened since I'm sure he has completely forgotten already.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Jayme darling, I know your fright and your anger as well as your terror. Don't be so hard on yourself, as you have surely learned something today.

It has happened to all of us at one time or another, for various reasons. Sometimes, it may be someone at the front door, who doesn't listen and holds the door open while a little Cavalier escapes and runs for the busy, main road! Sometimes, it is a lovely Golden who will listen 9 times out of 10, but on the 10th time decides whatever it is they want is better than whatever is going to happen to them next.

Don't take Benson to a park where he is going to be attacked as that is no safer, unless you find appropriate times to go to that park. Perhaps a very long lunge line is in your future so he can run, but can't get away. They aren't very expensive and can be purchased at any Tack Shop and probably most feed stores. It's been a while since I've purchased one.

I know exactly how you feel. You are probably shaken to the core right now, and still furious with Benson but also with yourself. Don't feel embarrassed either. It was nice of that lady to come out of her house to help. Both Oliver and Henry have given me a run for my money in the past. However, unlike some other (former) residents in this house, it happened ONE time with me. Oliver used to be a little daredevil, and Henry still will if given half the chance.

I'll bet Benson has on his sweetest "I love you, Mummy" face this evening. Perhaps when you cuddle with him later, you can explain it to him, gently in his ear, so he "understands" how much he upset you. ♥ You'll both feel better after that.

[JaymeK]

Deb, you took the words straight out of my mouth. As soon as we got home I decided it was time to go back to the long line to train him on recall again. We do have one but I use it to tie him out back and it's all gross now. I'll make a trip to Ren's today to pick one up.

[nezza]

Good Tuesday evening, everyone!!! Just got back from our latest trip to Pigeon Forge, late this afternoon. We had a great time and i will post some pics soon

Jayme, sounds like you had quite a scare with Benson. Don't feel embarrassed. You're a good dog "mommy". We all do our best, but sometimes, these things happen. Deb's scenario is spot on.... I don't think it could have been worded any better.

Deb, sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving feast!!! And a great time with RJM!

[kian]

Dropping in to say HI! Between all the trolls,spammers and the kids with fake profiles I just haven't had time to post. Those idiots take up my posting time.

Jayme that is scary, remember to imprint running the other way in Benson. Rather than chase him, run and whoop the other way. Imprint and practice it first, be sure to reward with a special treat and only use that treat for that. Don't overdo it. If you do use a long lunge lead, be sure to wear gloves!!! I can't stress that enough, better than a rope burn on your hand.

Life has kept me busy. Saturday I hit the door running at 7am and didn't stop until 9pm....long day. I enjoy Sunday evenings, I can relax and not worry about a thing then.

Nezza we really wanted to go to Nashville this fall, it's so pretty there now. After checking and checking airfares, I just can't justify it right now. We are heading to Texas in Febuary, I look forward to that. I have as late, discussed with OH just how much I might want to move to Texas one day. It appeals to me, the tornados do not. That might be the deal breaker there. Other than that, we are all well. Hope everyone is doing good!

[nezza]

Hey everyone!!

Kian, i have noticed all the spammers....it seems like there are more than there used to be. I'm sure that keeps mods rather busy. How annoying that must be!

I don't understand why they make airfare so darned expensive!!! The lucky thing for us is that there is an airline called Allegiant (maybe i've mentioned it before)... they fly out of Chattanooga direct to Orlando, and Knoxville direct to Fort Lauderdale. It's great for us because the OH's family lives in Orlando and mine lives in Ft. Lauderdale. His little boy lives just a half hour from Fort Lauderdale, too! Anyway, they offer discounted airfare on Sundays and Wednesdays from as low as 39.95!!!! They have flights and hubs all over the country, but it's limited.

I have never been to Texas, Kian. But, would love to make it out there one day. I love to travel. I was only out west once, and that was to Lake Tahoe and Reno. It was wonderful!!

[kian]

It seems my alloted time for DP in the morning is taken up with the spammers...

I have heard of that airline Nezza, wish it was out here. That really is a good price!

I have been busy painting the baseboards in the house, trying to get it all done before Holiday Decor goes up. I can't believe I'm thinking about that already. I will actually be putting up the lights soon while the weather is somewhat nice. I don't seem to enough hours in the day to get done what I need to do.

I really don't have much to share, I hit the door running in the morning and don't seem to stop until night. Those are the days I don't work!

[nezza]

Kian, i can't stand all those spammers!!! They are quite irritating!

You are one busy lady! I love decorating for the holidays, but my family has always done the Christmas decorating on Thanksgiving...after dinner. So, that's what i do, too. I really make a day of it. Christmas music playing, desserts, drinks

So, it seems the OH and I will be spending Christmas, just the two of us this year. For the first time actually. Usually, we head down to Florida on Christmas Eve and spend Christmas Day with my family and pick his little boy up to bring him to TN with us. But, doesn't look like we're doing that this year. Little Cristofer wants to stay home this year and spend the holiday with his brother and sisters and mom and step-dad. OH was quite sad about it. But, as i pointed out, you can't force him to come here...he will only resent it in the long run. He just turned 11 this month. So, i'm going to do something extra special here, since i know OH is going to be a little sad

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Nezza, I feel badly for your OH as I'm sure he misses his son. You are right though! As the children become older, they want to stay with their friends more and do things at "home" and they will only resent being forced to go away. The time will come around again when Cristofer can't wait to go to where his Dad and you are.

As Kian said, the spammers, and children have consumed a great deal of our time on here lately, which then doesn't lend itself to one feeling "chatty" afterwards. I've had my hands full with my children, in a good way, as well as these intermittent, never ending, family visits. My brother and his wife are coming up from Kentucky this weekend, just for the weekend, which is an awfully long drive. (10 hours!)

Mum leaves for Florida in the first week of November this year, so some of us will be heading over to her house this Saturday for yet another gathering. I seem to be at all of them, whether I like it or not. I do wish to see my brother though, as it's so infrequent that I am able. I love his wife as well. She is always fun!

Kian, did you notice that Cindy of "Cindy and Charlie" fame has posted! We haven't heard from her in ages and ages. She's attached a photo of Charlie and oh my, is he ever a handsome fellow....and HUGE!

Everyone stay well!

[nezza]

Thanks Deb. You are right, also, that time will come around where Cristofer will want to come be with Daddy again. It's so hard watching the OH try to understand this, though. Really heartbreaking.

Sounds like you have a lot of wonderful family gatherings And 10 hours is a long drive! It's always a good feeling to get along so well with our siblings' spouses. How is your Mum doing these days? She sure has been through a lot this past year.

I wouldn't feel too chatty after having to deal with all those spammers, either. They really drain the fun out of you.

Well, i have been working with Waffles the past week or so, introducing him to Persie. Little, by little, the past few days i've let them get closer to each other. Waffles is always on his leash, i crouch down next to him, petting him, being reassuring to him. His little tag is always wagging. He wants to play very badly. He actually begins to shake! Persie is awfully friendly, he will walk over to us quickly, purring, but he's cautious. Yesterday, they touched noses and then Persie ran off. Today, though, they touched noses and Persie turned to let Waffles "smell" him. And then Persie rolled over onto his back. Which, is VERY trusting for a cat to do. Cats don't normally do that so quickly, if ever. It was very sweet and made me very, very happy As they will be living together in the house, eventually.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

[kian]

Nezza I do understand the sadness of not having Christofer with you. We went through that as well, soon the kids decided they wanted to be with us more.

That is great with Persie! I hope they will accept each other and live in harmony. Animals can teach us so much if we let them.

Deb how is you mum doing?

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Kian, thanks for asking....my Mum is doing just fine actually. Sadly, one of her friends passed away this week, but he had been battling cancer for over a year and was, quite frankly, expected to die long before Mum's husband did. Mum has been very close with his wife, who sadly suffered a debilitating stroke earlier this year as well! They are all in their 80's now and have lived very active, happy, full lives. It is not so sad that this gentleman died as he was suffering and unaware for the last couple of weeks.

They have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and are a close family, so there is lots of support there. ♥

Mum is busy with her social calendar as always. She claims to hate the cold now, which is a recent development and by recent, I mean in the past 3 months! However, if NOAA is correct, it should be colder in Florida this winter, relatively, than up here, so we'll see what happens.

Ben has TWO interviews for tomorrow!!! The first one is at 9:00 a.m. here in London, downtown fortunately, and the second one is in another City about an hour away. Fortunately the Bus Station is about a block away from his first interview and his bus leaves at 10:45. His interview in Kitchener isn't until 2:00, so he'll have an hour or so to kill. I'll make sure he has enough money to buy a decent lunch, but I told him "nothing stinky (he loves garlic) and don't spill"! He then catches the Bus (Greyhound) back to London and will be home around 7:00! He is going to have a very busy day indeed, but it will be good for him.

The Bus fare is SO reasonable for a Student! With taxes (which are high on everything here in Ontario) the entire return trip comes in at around $30.00. I couldn't drive him there for less than that in gas! Mind you, our gas prices have fallen more than $.20/L in the past couple of weeks and I'm due for a fill, so that will save me at last $15.00/tank.

It is a busy time around here lately.

[JaymeK]

Deb I'm sorry to hear about your mom's friend, but I do know what you mean by it not being such a bad thing when they are suffering. I lost both of my grandmother's within a few weeks of each other last christmas, but both had been suffering for awhile, my dad's mom especially. It was essentially just a waiting game. It is very sad when they aren't aware of what's going on. My grandma had started to think her family was poisoning her, so my dad said it was best that she passed away so she didn't have to go through that confusion anymore.

And yay for falling gas prices here! I have heard that "experts" are saying prices will drop below $1.00/L by the end of the year. Somedays I do upwards of an hour of driving to get to school and work. I'd say about %60 of my income goes to gas! Darn SUV's....I do need the space though, with Benson. When I do the long drive home he prefers to sit on his bed. I put the back seats down so his bed will fit so he takes up the whole back of the car.

Today was a day of lost and found for me. I found a girl's student card near my house and emailed her but didn't get any response. Coming back from my walk with Benson I saw her just leaving her house and asked if she was this girl. She said yes and got her student card back! At the beginning of our walk we walked by the mailboxes and I saw someone had left their keys in one. I decided to do our normal loop and if I came back and they were still there I would try to find the owner (I wanted to give them a chance to come back if they remembered).

So on our way back the keys were still there. There was a key to a honda, a mail key, and a mercedes key. The honda key had the lock and unlock buttons on it so I walked up and down the street pushing the lock button and listening for a beep. I had almost given up when I started hearing a beeping. I couldn't tell where it was coming from and didn't see any Hondas around me. Finally I turned around and saw a garage lighting up every time I hit the button! Turns out the car was in the garage so I couldn't see it. I went and knocked on the guys door and returned his keys! I feel I've got some good karma today

[purdyandi]

Hey, everybody!
Thought I'd pop in and say hey!

Deb, I love to hear your descriptions of you and your boy's travels. Having grown up in the Cleveland area, listening to radio stations from Windsor(CKLW-that was THE radio station) and London, Ontario it feels very familiar even though I don't think we ever crossed the bridge into Canada (from Detroit, at least).

Nezza, I can empathize with your OH, although it must be doubly difficult when his son isn't with him all the time.

Jayme, yikes!! Glad it turned out well and Benson is safe and sound in "time out". We've all had those close calls!

Well, Divali had another race a few weeks ago and had loads of fun. I saw a slo-mo video one of her races from the starting box and what an interesting revelation! Of course, Coco shot out of the box with Luna close behind, Divali was relatively slow getting out. Luna ran stride for stride with Coco for a quite a while, at one point even ahead of Coco.(Jenn and I were both really surprised by that). Divali was behind for quite a while but she always manages to catch up so that she's either 3rd behind Luna by a nose or second, not far behind Coco. If she could just get a better start!! She LOVES to run so much. When she runs around the park she always has such a huge smile on her face.

Oh, and BTW, Luna was bit by a rattlesnake about a month before this meet!

Hope all you guys back east make it through this big storm on it's way with no ill effects!

[kian]

Jayme that is clever to push the key remote and how smart to figure that out. I wondered if the guy was curious as to why his car was beeping!

We haven't had much falling in gas prices here...

Janis how thrilling it must be to watch Divali run and the joy in the sport! Glad Luna was okay, darn rattlers!

Just been doing Fall cleanup, as much as I love the leaves they do have to raked. The dogs really love to run in them. Hope everyone in the storm path is safe, sounds like a wicked storm on the East Coast. The main brunt will be around DC and New York I heard. It's been cool here, Pellet Stove up and running!