Furry Friend Day 1

 

"Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear." Dave Barry

Day 1 of being a dog owner...I went to go pick up my new dog at 9 am having what I thought was "dog proofed" my house not really 100% sure what I thought I had achieved or hoped to. At first Pepper (my dog) was excited to see me. I was excited because I figured this dog is one smart cookie! she remembers me from yesterday SCORE I picked a winner - this was not the case (the remembering me part). I get her in the car everything is good no barking there was however a bit of vehicle exploration jumping from front to back a few times and getting stuck half way...again not sure how this was achieved it should be fairly easy for 4 legged peeps to easily maneuver between the two locales. I know this because many a dog at least 6 have done so effortlessly. No judging (ok some judging) but hey she was checking it out.

I bring her home and let her checkout/run around the house. I wasn't quite prepared for how literally run around she would do. Pretty much all furniture was considered fair game...I tried hard not to cringe as my new couch was leapt onto several times despite the nice comfy orthopedic Dog Whisper dog bed that was more than inviting and vacant. I was sort of prepared (not really 100% prepared) for the running around...Pepper is still a puppy, 10 months, ok more like a teenager...hmm hindsight she was being a total rebellious teenager! In my excitement and haste to pick up Pepper I had forgone my morning weekend coffee ritual. Getting home and after a few mins when Pepper seemed to "settle" I made my coffee nice hot and with a nice layer of frothed milk on top mmmm. It was all good until Pepper made it pretty clear that I had clearly made this drink for her. After several frustrating attempts to relax and enjoy my cup o' Joe I gave up and decided that this dog needed a walk to take the edge off - I mean let her burn off some engery. So off we went in the rain with my pocket full of poop bags and training treats. It was all good for the most part. Remember when I said was excited because I thought Pepper remembered me from the day before? well it turns out she just likes people anyone will do so I wasn't quite as special as I thought. Back to walk, everything was going well until we encountered another crazy dog walker venturing out in the pouring rain. Pepper was excited to see both person and dog and was great until she basically molested this rather large dog's face...in a friendly way if that's possible. You could tell this huge dog was like Mum get me away NOW from this crazy dog. I was rather horrified however upon meeting I did explain I had just got Pepper literally that morning (hoping to pass off any bad behavior on anyone other than myself...not sure it worked).

We returned home soaking as 1/2 way through our walk the sky opened and the rain was literally pouring down at least it is summer and wasn't cold. I figured as I was already wet I might as well do some much needed gardening - and planting of some very lovely sunflowers I had received. This involved digging...I discovered Pepper is a great digger...and is a master at pulling out (& chewing) unwanted plant roots! Which was great I guess. What wasn't so great was that I hadn't though how attractive sunflower flowers would be to a puppy....there were two fatalities - just the flowers - so now I have 2 sunflower stalks in my garden. Oh well the flowers will grow back that is if they survive the Pepper tornado which involves checking out sunflower progress every time she goes outside...(sunflower status to be updated as the summer progresses).  I think I managed to tire out Peps I took her for another long walk this evening and since we got home all she has done is sleep...this is my cunning master plan. I hope she doesn't wake in the middle of the night wanting to be entertained because I will be a grumpy bear...and I think grumpy bear trumps cute puppy? Looking forward to sharing adventures about Pepper.

Furry Friend

"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts."John Steinbeck

After almost two months of stalking a shelter dog online I finally bit the bullet and went to see her. She is now living with me. It took me so long to finally get a dog because well for someone who has lived as basically a nomad for close to 20 years a dog is a major commitment. I wanted to make sure I had everything in place before I adopted a dog. Basically I was worried about silly stuff probably the same way first time parents feel. It maybe the fear of the unknown. I have lived with and taken care of dogs for most of my life and yet I still hesitated about actually owning one. So now I am a dog owner.

I arrived at the shelter and appeared confident stating exactly which dog I was interested in...didn't mention I had been obsessively stalking said dog for weeks online checking to make sure she hadn't been adopted and yet not feeling quite brave enough to go in. I have heard horror stories about adopting pets from shelters. This one article I read online was all about this guy who found the dog he wanted, visited it had an interview, had someone come to his house to check it out, went and bought a ton of doggy paraphernalia only to be told that there was a mistake and his dog was adopted by someone else. The author was so sad. I completely understood how he felt. Sometimes it feels like such an ordeal trying to become a pet owner. What if you are rejected? What if your dog becomes someone else's dog? 

Well I took the plunge and passed all the tests and am now the proud owner of my own furry companion. Pretty sure this was one of the great decisions for the year of forty!  

Chivalry is not dead its a handsome cowboy

If you get thrown from a horse, you have to get up and get back on, unless you landed on a cactus; then you have to roll around and scream in pain.

I think my pivotal moment of embracing country or at least cowboys was a few years ago. I had the job in the sandhill area of Nebraska, Valentine Nebraska. Having been born on Valentine's Day it is only fitting that I actually at some point in my life live in a town called Valentine right? 

So one very early morning after doing some songbird surveys I walked back to my truck to see the ranchers out checking their cattle. I waved they waved back it was all good. I got in the truck and started to drive away...when all of a sudden in my rear view mirror I saw this rather handsome cowboy on his horse literally chasing me down...on his horse like in the wild west movies. At first I didn't realize he was actually chasing me and not some wayward cow. When I did realize I stopped I mean if a cute man on a horse is chasing you down why wouldn't you stop? Apparently I was being chased because I had a flat tire (no judging). Now I know some of you are judging but the thing is in the sandhills everything is sand and if you on a sand road or two track in a farmers field you are literally driving in sand and at 4:30 am when I was driving to get to the ranch I guess I didn't notice the flat tire because I most likely was not 100% awake and I was used to driving through a couple inches of sand.  

When I realized I had a flat tire I was not exactly a happy camper. Cell service was non-existant to horrible and literally fixing a large truck flat tire in the middle of nowhere is not my idea of a good time. This  Ladies is when I learned chivalry is not dead. Nope it is alive and well, it rides a horse and looks pretty dam good in a stetson. That rather handsome cowboy who was chasing me down? Well he changed my flat tire for me. All while his horse looked on and all he wanted was a thank you in return and Yes it was wonderful. Sometimes when I think chivalry is dead I pull that memory from the attic (brain) and it makes me laugh. Its not everyone who has that memory. So the next time I see some handsome cowboy chasing me down on a horse I will not even think twice before stopping. I will not assume he is chasing a wayward cow. I will assume he is chasing me but hopefully not because of a flat tire. By the way he better be wearing a steston...haha

Road Trip

"I get pretty much all the exercise I need walking down airport concourses carrying bags." – Guy Clark

Two weeks ago I decided to take a short road trip...to a city I used to live in. Now that I live in the neighboring province I figured what a great way to see a little bit of each province. I took off the afternoon packed my bad and headed out of town. I keep a stash of maps in my truck I always have basically because I like to know where I am, where I going and how I am going to get there. So as I headed out of town on a lovely Friday afternoon I felt pretty secure in knowing that somewhere in my vehicle was the map I needed....

Its sad for me to admit but after having lived in Ontario for 2.5 years I had forgotten (I know its horrible) how far apart some towns are in the mid to northern areas of the provinces. For example it is not uncommon to drive literally for 2 hours before you encounter another community and it may just be a gas station/convenience store and a few other buildings (usually most of which look abandoned). Personally the only thing I generally care about is a bathroom especially when in farm country because there is a general lack of tress or shrubs on the side of the road that allows a female to do her business without the 1 car that is also on the lone highway from seeing. I think we all have had an experience where there is literally no traffic for miles until you pull down your pants on the side of the road and while in a very precarious situation suddenly cars, cars, cars from every direction show up...like magic. Thankfully this was not me (for once).

Back to the story - having newly arrived in my new town I haven't really become acquainted with all the highways and ways in which to leave it. So I flew past the turn to the highway I was looking for because it was literally a km down the first highway I was on. I didn't realize this until many many km's later. When the highway I was on suddenly turned into 10 km of unpaved road with little signs of life other than crops (from last year) and literally no signs saying when I would reach the next town. I was starting to panic because the map I for so sure was in my truck - was not and I was reaching the bathroom desperation point. I figured I was close to a town because I kept seeing school buses full of children which I thought mean I would actually see a town with a school soon. I felt that way for about 30 mins as my bladder continued to make its self known. At this point I was also in panic mode because I literally had no idea where I was. I knew I was somewhere between Alberta and Manitoba in Saskatchewan but other than that no idea. I had this horrible feeling that I was on my way to Manitoba when suddenly a sign appeared. I was approaching a town which meant a real bathroom. Its not easy when traveling by yourself to feel safe stopping on the side of the road to pee for so many reasons. So I headed for the first gas station I spotted and bought a map. Turns out the map I was so sure was in my truck was not. I discovered I was not on my way to Manitoba but had taken a rather more scenic route than intended on the way to my destination. It set me back a little bit but nothing major. Really I felt so relived at knowing where I was and how to get to my actual destination. So lesson here was although its good to be carefree perhaps actually knowing how to get to the destination before actually getting on the highway might be a good idea...Oh my god I sound like an adult...worse I think I sound like my dad! haha

Can I finally come out of my country closet?

“Puttin’ on a cowboy hat & a pair of boots doesn’t make you country; Like puttin’ on a ball gown & glass heels won’t make me Cinderella.” Kellie Elmore

Well I am now an Albertan. For those you who perhaps are not familiar with Alberta, Alberta is the Texas of Canada. It is comprised of stetsons, cowboys, cowgirls, country music, cows, bulls, rodeos, country music, oil, gas and some pretty amazing scenery. So you will understand why I make the comparison. Calgary one of the two major cities in the province is well know among Canadians as "Cowtown" and Edmonton, the capital city, is known as "Edmonchuck". Alberta's beef is some of the best in the world (if not the best - I am biased of course) and every July people come from all over the world to attend the Calgary Stampede. So now that I am an Albertan does this mean I can actually come out of the closet? The country lover's closet that it. I think the answer is yes. 

I never really thought I was that much into all that we associate with "country" cows, cowboys, country music etc. Over the years I have lived on and visited working ranches and farms though for only short periods of time. I love beef mmm steak and prime rib (sorry I digress) but was I ready to declare my love for all things country? I guess the answer is yes. Despite my short stays on working ranches and farms I learned to love that lifestyle and to know that I am into country...so there.

Just so you think I am serious. I tended bar two weeks ago for the local Agricultural Society's Dance portion of a large fundraiser. This was a full on country event complete with rodeo, dinner and then a dance. The dance had a live band playing...of course country cover songs and I can say that other than a rodeo I have never seen so many cowboy boots, Stetsons and "blinged" out ladies jeans...it was exactly what you would think it would be and it was awesome! I really enjoyed myself and realized I dig this kind town and I think living here will be fun. So there I have declared myself a bit of a country girl at heart. I will no longer be keeping my love for Merle Haggard, George Straight, Willie Nelson and many others secret. So now that I am in living in Canada's "cowboy" province I am embracing it... That's right I will be wearing my cowboy boots to work and around town. As the quote above states this will not make me country but at least I can give it a try - wish me luck oh and maybe the next time you see me I will be carrying a lasso and rocking a Stetson.

New Job

"It's not what you achieve, it's what you overcome. That's what defines your career."- Carlton Fisk 

As many of you know I recently moved. I moved for a job which over what seems like the last 15 years or so is my only reason for moving other than the 3 years I spent in grad school oh and the Debacle of 2006 (that's another story). I am happy to report that I feel and hope that this is the last move I make for quite some time...fingers crossed. 

This time I moved for a permanent full time job - yes I feel like an adult...finally well not really but lets keep that a secret. The thing is it still doesn't feel real. After I accepted the job I still felt like my new employer had perhaps been mistaken. I mean at the age of 40 and after all my years of working I still felt somewhat unprepared for this new job. It was just a mental thing - I mean how could I not be prepared for this job - its what I have been preparing and hoping for at least the last 10 + years and it finally arrived.

I had fixed feelings about leaving behind my old job. I worked with amazing people and it was hard to leave a job I enjoyed with great people behind for something unknown. This may seem a little strange coming from me because let's face I have spent my entire adult life moving from one place to another and moving from one job to another. However, I still felt like I was going to get a phone call saying sorry we made a mistake. So one night before I left my last job I told my supervisor I think my new boss may have made a mistake in choosing me - do you think I am ready for this? His response was great and very real - no one is ever prepared for this job but you'll do fine. Words of wisdom from someone who I really respect and feel incredibly lucky to have worked for. It was these words that made me realize that it wasn't just me who feels this way. All of us or at least most of us feel this way when we get a new job or the job we have been pursuing is finally achieved...after the elation has worn off that is. It's the self doubt of whether we truly feel prepared for this next step in our life and career. Are we truly ready for the adventure we have been waiting forever to actually happen?

Well the answer is yes with a side of don't let them think you are not! HaHa. When I arrived at my new job and saw I actually had an office with 4 real walls not cubicle walls I thought wow I guess its too late to run away now! Just kidding it was actually a pretty good feeling.  It felt like I had finally arrived at my career destination...a place I have been searching for, for quite a while. In addition to the new job, fancy  title and office I have great coworkers/staff. So although I miss all those great people I left behind I feel fortunate to have some pretty great people at my new job and this makes all the difference in the world. I guess what I am saying is that I finally feel prepared for this new adventure.

Divorce

A lawyer is never entirely comfortable with a friendly divorce, anymore than a good mortician wants to finish his job and then have the patient sit up on the table. ~ Jean Kerr

 

Over the years I have often wondered “can you divorce your friend”? Sometimes we have a friend or friends that just don’t seem to live up to our expectations or even enter the realm of what we constitute  a friendship. I am pretty sure we all have at least one friend that this pertains too. I know I am not alone in feeling this way - a few years ago one my friends asked me this very question. My answer, I think you can but I have no idea how one went about it.

Over the years some friends haven’t exactly embraced the term friend or at least my definition of it.  I always thought that most people understood what it meant to be your friend, but over the years that I have discovered there is more to being friends than sharing crayons.  I know we are all busy with work and families etc but I still think it’s important to share things, big things, life changing things and celebratory events with our friends even if it’s just through an email or on facebook (not really my favorite medium but hey whatever works). I mean isn’t getting married, getting a great new job, or having a baby an event worthy of sharing with your “friends”? I always thought so but lately I think for some people they live in such a bubble they forget about people outside the bubble. These people don’t even realize that they are on the inside of the bubble leaving their friends on the outside, maybe they do and they just don’t care. It makes me ask Do I need to have a friend contract? You know like a per-nuptial agreement or a co-habitation agreement? Do we have some kind of friend-commitment ceremony?  I hope not friends are important, life without them would be pretty boring and unfulfilling.

I know that this topic of divorcing friends seems a bit strange but I think we all have one person whom this applies to. I do. I have tried unsuccessfully over the years to divorce a friend of mine. I say unsuccessfully because each time I think the divorce is official and we have both accepted the fate of our friendship something happens to sort of kill the divorce proceedings...I think the question I need to ask them is “What do they consider a friend”. Perhaps I don’t really want to know what the answer is because I don’t want to really know if it’s that easy to divorce your friend(s).

So back to my question “can you divorce your friend”? If the answer is yes how is this accomplished? Is there some kind of friend therapy out there? Can I search the internet and find a legal separation document for friend divorce? The answer appears to be no – I checked.  However, I did find a website pertaining to divorcing friends; it provided me with 15 basic how-to-steps. The end result is that I will be “liberated”. Hmm... part of me thinks this is total BS. Sorry but seriously I don’t think it’s that easy. And for me personally to feel liberated I need more than just advise to “let them go”...but then again maybe not.