Nature: Behind the Scenes*

Stunning!

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday! 

We had a crazy weekend, made crazier by the fact that I managed to catch a cold last week that knocked me perhaps not flat, but at least sideways.

Amongst other things, DD and Dakota had a Junior Agility competition on Saturday.  It was a very small showing of kids (only three kids and four dogs) so it passed quickly (for which I was grateful).  DD did pretty well. though she had her first "NQ" (non-qualifying) round because Dakota got distracted by something and wouldn't come back on course, and Sarah grabbed her.  You can't touch your dog in real agility, so was DQ'd (disqualified).

Their absolute fave run was the Tunnel Game, because it's just running -- though Dakota missed one of the tunnels (it's actually a handler error, but it was minor):



Her next fave is "Dealer's Choice" because your dog can't make a wrong move -- there is no set course.  It's all about points -- each obstacle is worth a certain amount of points, and the person with the most points at the end wins.



However, between being sick and not at the top of my game, it being the first of the month (which is a nightmare for me), and being gone most of Friday and Saturday, work has backed up terribly, and I'm completely and massively behind.

I'm beginning to think this will be the usual for me anymore -- something that is very stressful for a Type A person. 

The "good" news for me is that it's raining and will be through Wednesday, so I can work on my computer without feeling guilty for not being outside.  It does make the dog a little nuts, but we'll manage.

I should be able to make time to visit blogs for a little while today. I won't be able to get to them all, but will do my best!

Have a great day. :-)

My Life In YouTube Videos

What's in my brain this morning:



Seriously... as is typical, I got nothin' today.

What made me sad this weekend:





Why does it seem that so many big stars anymore hit a downward spiral and die far too young? Especially when they have everything (including a daughter who loves you more than anything) and throw it away?

What made me smile this weekend:



Hope your weekend was lovely.

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Thursday Thoughts

Tory asked me Tuesday if I'd seen the video of the dormouse snoring. I hadn't, so went off to look. I have a soft spot for rodents, so this was definitely an "awww" video:



I've been looking for stock pictures for "Now and Forever". It's amazing how hard it is to design your own cover -- I have much greater empathy for the cover artists now, though I wonder: is it harder or easier to design a cover for a book you haven't read?

I've been trying to write as well, but am having a tendency to flit between stories and, as a result, am getting little actually accomplished. I need to settle on one, I suppose.

Other than than, things are pretty quiet. That's a good thing...

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You Are a Carrot Cake Cupcake

You are a complex person. You have many interesting layers to your personality, though others might not know it. You are drawn to a cross section of people. You friends play different roles in your life. You are like a cupcake because you are are deceptively simple. There's actually a lot to you! There are many ingredients in your life, and you only want them in proper amounts. Being you is a delicate art.

What Flavor Cupcake Are You?

Hmmm.... maybe 50/50.

Marianne's Day Off

No time to blog this morning ... I've discovered that the first of the month is going to be crazy, busy nightmare because of our site reconstruction.

I know this is all over Facebook, but for those of you who either aren't on FB or haven't watched, I give you one of the cleverest commercials for the Super Bowl (and you don't even have to watch football to see it):

I'm Alive...

But have nothing to say today. Sorry. I was just going to skip posting, but then I get emails: "Are you okay?" so I figured I'd put something. :-)

I leave you with this video that impacted me yesterday (the song lyrics, actually). Give it a listen.

More Christmas Spirit

Okay ... I'm still working on the whole Christmas spirit thing. I've managed to get at least *some* of my cards out. Presents are wrapped.

Today, I thought I'd share some parts of my favorite all time Christmas movies.





Sadly.... I couldn't find a video for my fave all time Christmas movie: the original "Miracle on 34th Street". But imagine it here.

What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?

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You Are Content

You seek moderation by compensating for extremes. If you're extreme one way, you're also extreme the other way. While you can be brutally honest, you're still quite a charmer. You say it all with a smile. You are magnetic, endearing, and people tend to love you. You are a positive force in this world. You're a bit of an introvert, but you're never lonely. You know how to entertain yourself.

The Adventure Test

That's probably mostly right ... maybe 75%?

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Whazzup...

So WOW! The temperatures here have dropped like a rock. We went from balmy and in the 60s to "HOLY COW it's winter!". Of course, we're getting our chimney cleaned today, so can't have a fire in the stove to keep the house toasty -- and when we heat with oil, we keep the thermostat WAY down. :::shivers:::

Still, I can't complain. It's been very mild (last year was FREEZING) and, really, even though it's cold, it's not as cold as it usually is in December. And, Sarita? In response to your kind offer yesterday, no I don't want any snow. Thank you anyway. *G*

I realized today that we're nearly in double digits for December and I don't even have my cards out. That's on my list of things to do for this weekend. Used to be I had my cards out the day after Thanksgiving and that I started my Christmas shopping the day after Christmas (because WOW the deals!). Now? I'm lucky if I remember it IS time for Christmas and show up on the 25th.

It's amazing how much of DD's homework is done on the computer. Right now, she's using our old desktop, but next year she's required to have a laptop. Add THAT to my school supplies shopping list -- whee!

Last night she was working on a science assignment in Google documents. And once it's done, they simply share it with the teacher so he can grade it. Crazy. And her teachers are all readily available via email and many of them are on the school chat in the evening for questions. I wonder if public school does stuff like that? Is it the wave of the future?

No big plans for the weekend aside from getting my cards out. And mastering Word Press (hahaha).

You?

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You Are Meticulous

You are smart, clever, and perceptive. You know how to synthesize and process information. You notice every detail, and you are good at finding inconsistencies. Nothing slips by you. You often see things that other people never notice. When you imagine how something should look, you see it clearly in your mind. You are more of a thinker than a talker. When you speak, you usually have something important to say.

The Diagonal Test

That's mostly right (except that I can't seem to grasp the concept of Word Press). And the funny thing? I didn't *want* to choose that one -- I kept thinking I should like one of the pink ones better, but they annoyed me. The only one I looked at that didn't grate on my nerves was this one. Funny.

And... a nod to my title -- who remembers when this came out?



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Christmas Music

Woke up late and I already behind .... so thought I'd share two videos that I've posted on Facebook, but that I find absolutely amazing.

SO clever!


And how can you NOT smile at this one?



Have a great hump day!

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You Are Wise

You are too much of a generalist to specialize in anything. The problem is that you're good at everything. You try to live an enlightened life. You are benevolent, noble, and intuitive. You are sensitive and intuitive. You understand others and yourself well. You are honest about your opinions and feelings. You rather be blunt, even if it upsets people.

The Cappuccino Test

This is about 75% right....

======================

Things...

Truthfully, today I'm blank. Life is uneventful, I'm swamped and the weather is warm for December (in the 40s).

I did see "The Three Musketeers" over the weekend at the cheap movies with my friend, Michele, who was up visiting. It was pretty dang good.



Anyone else see it?

======================

You Are Insomnia

You have a restlessness about you that's hard to shake. You have difficulty calming down. You want to rise to the top. You are extremely ambitious and driven. You can't stand by and be complacent. You try to take action whenever possible, and when you can't act, you worry. In general, you consider sleeping to be a waste of time. You'll sleep when you're dead.

What Sleep Disorder Are You?

ROFL... um... Yeah.

=========================

Cat Agility

Yesterday, Brandy, Angelina and Tori wondered why I didn't just have the lump on Dakota's head removed.

Here's the plain truth: It would require surgery ... to the tune of about $800. If it the vet had come back and told me it was cancer for certain, we'd have tightened our belts and done it, because she's family. But since the vet is nearly 100% certain it's NOT cancer, we're playing the odds.

Pets aren't cheap folks. Even healthy pets aren't cheap (right, Brandy?) but when they start getting sick, it's no fun at all. It's why we don't have three dogs and seven cats. Because to be a responsible pet owner means being able to take care of your critters, no matter what.

Speaking of cats... check this out:



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You Are a Bridge to Happiness

You enjoy a good challenge or competition. You're bored when things are too easy. You are focused and committed. You never lose site of your goals. You like to surround yourself with beautiful objects. Aesthetics are important to you. You are passionate and romantic. When you meet the right person, you just know.

The Bridge Test

Maybe 75% right.

======================

Booking Through Thursday: eRevolution

E-readers like the Kindle and iPad are sweeping the nation … do you have one? Do you like it? Do you find it changes your reading/buying habits? If you don’t have one, do you plan to?

I have a Nook "classic" (read: old, outdated Nook -- but then, what electronic device isn't outdated five minutes after you buy it?). I also have the Nook and Kindle apps downloaded on my Droid.

When I first got the Nook, I did it because of the sheer number of books released in eFormat that I was reading and reviewing for LASR. It hurts my eyes to read on the computer and, besides, my preferred reading spot is in bed, and the laptop is a bit clunky for that.

When I bought the Nook I thought I'd still read print books whenever they were available. I loved print. I couldn't imagine switching over to eBooks as a preference.

But I did.

The Nook was actually easier on my eyes than print. Lighter. I read faster on it. I loved the instant gratification of finishing a book and opening (or buying!) a new one without getting out of bed. I love being able to borrow from my library (as a side note -- the books there almost always have waiting lists, so I'm clearly not the only one using an eReader).

When I don't know what I feel like reading, but know I'm going somewhere I'll want to read, it's so simple to tuck the Nook into my bag and go, and have hundreds of books at my fingertips.

I prefer the eInk eReaders and have no interest in a tablet. The backlight hurts my eyes. It's why I read on my Nook more than my Droid -- though the Droid has come in handy for reading now and then. Should I replace my current Nook, I'd get the Nook black and white. I played with one at Barnes and Noble and love how small and light it is -- even smaller and lighter than my current Nook. And since I have WiFi capability from my Droid, it doesn't matter that it's not got a 3G hookup.

So ... do I have one? Yes. Do I like it? YES. Did it change my buying habits? Absolutely -- I now have complete access to pretty much every book in the world and am not restricted to print only.

I still buy the occasional print book. But I'd say that 95% of the books I read now are in eFormat.

What about you?

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You Are The Warrior

At your best, you are brave, intense, and fearless. You have guts. You have no problem standing up for what's right and asserting yourself. You'll fight for what you believe in. You face the abyss head on, an you challenge your friends to do the same. You have the guts to be who you are. You believe that you are important and special.

What's Your Personality Archetype?

And because this quiz gave me an earworm ... I'll share it with you (and dear dog the 80s were really strange ... this video is just ... nuts -- and yet, I think I have this song on 45):



Happy Thursday!

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Busy Weekend

Spent the day at the agility fun match yesterday. DD did great! I was very proud. She and Dakota got best overall time, first place in the advanced dog category and their team (of a mix of advanced, intermediate and beginner dogs) also placed first!

Here's a video of one of her runs, the first (and not the best one, but still good -- I haven't uploaded the others yet):



I was exhausted. So was DD and the dog. In fact, we fed the dog lunch when we got home (around 2 pm) and then I forgot to feed her dinner -- because I didn't eat -- and she never woke up to ask for it! LOL...

The cat goes in for her first check up with my vet today. She's still having vomiting problems. If I feed her more than a few pieces of food for a meal, she gobbles it down and then throws it right back up. So I have to try to remember to feed her 10 - 15 pieces every hour or two. I know she probably isn't getting enough to eat, because there are times I'm just not around (like yesterday), but I'm not sure what else to do. Will talk to the vet today. Maybe soft food is the answer...

Just once, I'd like to have a low maintenance pet.

Otherwise, she's settling in pretty well. She decided to use DH's hockey equipment as a litter box (I'll admit... I can understand the confusion because it really stinks) and she's starting to climb on the counters (a big no-no), but DH has been remarkably patient.

And, yes, she still loves him best. :-P

Today is supposed to be gorgeous, weatherwise, so I might finally go out and cut down my perennials, and pull down my tomato cages for the winter. We'll see...

Have a happy Monday!

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You Are a Blackberry Smoothie

You are mentally alert and curious. Your mind is always at work, even when you're resting. You produce valuable and original works. You are quite the creator. You are insightful and astute. You are quite savvy when it comes to most things. You are probably an expert in at least one field. You love gaining deep knowledge.

What Berry Smoothie Are You?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

LOL... mostly right.

A Little Weird-ness

Nothing much going on here ... just prep for the hurricane which is tracking pretty much right over my house. I'm hoping it's all an awful lie.

Otherwise, my friend, Michele and I were discussing Weird Al today (don't ask). A million years ago, I actually met the man. My friend, Cathy, had won backstage passes to the pool party for the Monkees "Pool It" tour, and Weird Al was their opening act.

I was a huge Monkees fan from way back and couldn't WAIT to meet them (Mike Nesmith wasn't there, of course, but the other three were). I was so disappointed.

Davy Jones was a snob. Mickey wasn't much better. Peter Tork was sweet but distracted. But then... there was Weird Al. What an AWESOME guy. He took time to talk to everyone like he was just people, yanno? Nice, well-spoken, interesting. The guy's a genius (seriously... he has a ridiculously high IQ) but so nice.

In his honor, I give you the video for the song that started it all this morning, "Like A Surgeon".



Enjoy.

Have a wonderful weekend! Hopefully I'll be back on Monday declaring that Irene fizzled and went out to sea. Monday is DD's first day at school, and we'd really like it to go smoothly...

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You Are Driven

You prefer to be around others, both when working and while relaxing. You are very socially oriented. You are disciplined. You don't let yourself lose focus and get distracted. You couldn't be someone else even if you tried! You're simply you - and thank goodness for that. You are a born idealist, with more pet causes than you can count. You are determined to change the world.

The Lighthouse Test

About 50/50...

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Drama, drama, drama

Adolescence is perhaps nature's way of preparing parents to welcome the empty nest. ~Karen Savage and Patricia Adams, The Good Stepmother

I'm sitting here smelling eau du skunk this a.m. -- a few minutes ago, Dakota was "oofing" (her quiet bark) and now I smell this lovely odor. Don't worry, she is inside, but I wonder if she saw something get skunked? Is it evil and wrong that I hope it was my neighbor's nasty little schnauzer that they let run loose all the time?

We had a good day yesterday, celebrating Mom's birthday. Busy but fun, started with a road trip to Trader Joes and it ended with a seafood meal, so what's not to like?

DD did have a complete breakdown again last night. She has terrible self-esteem, and I truly don't understand why. "I'm ugly, I'm stupid, I'm fat, I can't do anything right, everyone yells at me all the time." And copious amounts of tears.

I suspect her problems about her appearance are coming up because of school. I've already promised her a new haircut and a manicure. I think we might do that today. Of course, that means I'll have to get her a new manicure right before school starts. We'll see... she also needs new glasses. So, I'm making an appointment for that today, too. Hers are kid sized, and she really needs to have grown up sized frames now.

I swear, I'm not going to survive the teenaged years. Or she isn't. One or the other... it's all drama, all the time.

In other news, she named the smallest of our indoor tomato worms ... I think it was because I kept trying to get rid of him and this was her way of making sure I didn't. His name is Bob. I joked and said the other four (they're all about the same size, so I can't tell them apart) should be Larry, Darryl, Darryl and Darryl.



Ignore the fact that whoever posted that video can't spell, please...

And so, another day filled with work and drama begins. :-)

Hope you have a great day!

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You Are a Dreamer

People usually totally love you or totally hate you. You are extremely intense. You aspire to great things. You dream big, and you have the self-confidence to make your dreams come true. You are a total brainiac who enjoys learning new things. You think studying is just plain fun. You try not to go overboard on anything. You are down to earth, and you aren't easily swayed by emotions.

The Tropical Flower Test

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

Um... hmmmm.... this is almost completely right.

=======================

Bugs!

There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me. ~Thomas Jefferson

Okay ... many of you (especially gardeners!) expressed some, shall we say, surprise at the fact that we're raising tomato hornworms.

The main reason I'm doing so is because of the amazing moth it becomes. Beautiful and incredible to watch, I give you -- the Hummingbird Moth:





Yesterday, inside one of the jars, I found the tiniest little mama crab spider carrying the tiniest little bitty egg sac (if not for her egg sac, I probably wouldn't have seen her at all). She couldn't stay there, so I scooped her out and put her and her eggs outside. She was SUCH a good mama... she held the sac with her to hindmost legs, and once as she was trying to get away, the sac came loose. You could tell she wanted to run (she probably thought I was going to eat her!) but she scurried back for her eggs anyway, picked them up and moved away.

I know, I know you're all thinking: spider? But nature is incredibly amazing (if brutal) and if you take time to just WATCH sometimes I think you'd be swept away by its beauty.

Most of my day, however, was spent deep cleaning. Why? Because Sunday night I found a cockroach! UGH!! We generally don't see them up here, though they can live here, and we've NEVER seen them in our house. It was an American Cockroach and after some research we found that the German Cockroach is what usually lives here. Our assumption is that it hitchhicked in on some imported (from California or Florida) produce).

My house is pretty dang clean, but it can always be cleaner. So I pulled out the appliances and scrubbed the floors, emptied the pantry and scrubbed, emptied my cupboards and scrubbed. Then I deployed more than a dozen roach bait traps.

Despite my love for nature, I do draw the line at cockroaches (mostly because they try to live in my house... :::shudders:::).

I wasn't online but an hour or two yesterday, and today is my Mom's birthday, so my online time will be reduced as well. Hopefully, tomorrow things will mostly be back to normal.

Have a great day!

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You Are Dominant

You take on huge projects and see them through. You lead the way when it comes to success. You are a leader and a good one too. You are as fair as you can be. You have a defiant streak. If someone tells you that you can't do something, it makes you that more determined. You are impulsive when the occasion calls for it. You make decisions on the fly.

The Circle Doodle Test

About 75% right

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Weekend in Review - A Day Late!

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. ~Philip K. Dick

Ever notice how, when your day starts off badly it tends to continue in that direction? Is it pure physics? An object in motion and all that jazz? Yesterday was nuts.

Today, though, DH couldn't sleep and got up VERY early. Ergo, *I* got up very early. Maybe today will stay on this already productive path...

Over the weekend, DD has her Junior Agility competition. The turnout was small (which was kind of nice) and she did well, getting first place and a "Q" (or Qualify ... which helps her go up in levels of competition) in all her classes.

Here are her videos, if you're interested.

The Tunnel Game is first -- just a series of tunnels. The courses get more complicated (with more tunnels and more difficult turns) as you go up in level. DD is a level 2, but has "Q'd" for level 3 next competition.



Next was "Dealer's Choice" where the handler chooses a course based on points -- you'll hear the judge calling out numbers every time Dakota takes an obstacle. Each team has to earn a minimum number of points, but can earn more. When the whistle blows, they have 5 seconds to get to the table.



Then came the Standard Course which includes everything Dakota and DD can do at their level -- really it only excludes the teeter and poles (both of which Dakota loves ... but has to earn the right). She's been having LOTS of trouble hitting her contacts on the A-Frame lately, and sure enough she misses here too, even though DD slows her down. You'll hear me groan... she also goes for the Dog Walk instead of the jump coming out of one tunnel, but that was DD's fault -- she didn't call the obstacle and Dakota just went to what was in front of her face.



Lastly was the Jumpers course (which only means no contacts like the Dog Walk or Frame). She did really well:



All-in-all a good day and one of the scorekeepers as well as two of the other helpers, all of whom run their dogs professionally, suggested that DD start competing in CPE (Canine Performance Events) trials (which are "real" trials where, in theory, you can qualify for nationals but aren't as crazy competitive as AKC or USDAA). They said she'd do fine at level 1, Junior. There's a CPE Trial in July... we might do it. It's a two day event, so I have to decide if I can stand two full days ...

This weekend is the art show. I'm still on the fence as to whether we're doing it ... there are multiple problems that are making it massively stressful for me right now. I'll probably end up doing it, just because DD will be so sad if I don't, but I'm dreading it with every fiber of my being...

We got DD's Standardized Test scores back yesterday and she did great! Got a 96 overall. Her math concept & application was the only score that wasn't above average (she missed 3 out of 20), but otherwise she either missed none or 1 in all the rest. Guess I managed to do my job this last year of teaching. *G*

And so are the days of our lives ...

====================

You Are a Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake

You are a true friend. You are compassionate, loyal, and generous. You are reliable and faithful. You can be counted on, even in the worst of times. You have an outstanding memory. You remember every person you've met in your life. You are rarely stressed out or in a rush. You take the time to do things right.

What Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake Are You?

About 80% right ...

===================

Sun!!

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. - John Denver

Holy smokes!! The sky is clear and blue outside.

:::faints dead away:::

Seriously, folks I don't know what I'm going to do with myself today -- it's supposed to be sunny and nice. Probably I'll go out and weed, and see if my garden survived the flood. My cucumbers, eggplant and squash weren't looking so great last time I checked on Saturday...

Didn't get my writing done yesterday -- but I have high hopes for today. DH has stuff to do, so shouldn't be underfoot.

Speaking of which, he's awake, so I'm going to sign off early. Today, I'll check for pillars and take some pix of my green, growing things.

Wishing you all a great day!



===================

You Should Celebrate with Champagne

You have high standards, and you are nice to everyone. Manners are important to you, even if that's old fashioned. You tend to follow norms. You figure why rock the boat unless there's a good reason to? You think of yourself as regular gal or guy next door. You do your best to make life a little special sometimes. You don't have a jealous bone in your body, and you're truly for happy for others when they succeed.

What's Your Celebration Drink?

About 3/4 right and champagne is the only alcohol that gives me a hangover, so I abstain. *G*

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Rain

Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while. ~Kin Hubbard

I really only have one thing on my mind:



When I did a search for "It's Raining Again" -- THIS came up, too (and made me laugh), so I had to share:



Who remembers THAT song? *G*

I think it may stop raining eventually ... so, THIS should be my next theme song:



I'm fairly sure I have webbed feet. And the dog is going just a little (okay a LOT) crazy from not being able to get outside and get her wiggles out.

I'm going a little crazy, too. When I don't some sunshine, I get really, REALLY low. I checked the forecast, and this is what they say:



Geez... even the days with a sun on them don't sound THAT great. But, I'll take what I can get.

I shouldn't complain -- we aren't being flooded out of our house. There are no tornadoes or other natural disasters. Truly, we're very lucky and blessed. But I really would like just a teeny bit of sun.

======================

You Are Intense

Your passion fuels you. Your fire for everything and everyone burns brightly. You are protective of those closest to you. You do the worrying for other people. You are direct and to the point. You move quickly, and you don't like to waste time. You are a very inspiring person. You show others that dreams can come true.

The Petit Dessert Test

That's pretty much right.

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Day of Rest

Taking a day off today ... but I leave you with this video. Note: If you aren't a redneck or don't know a redneck, you may not find this as amusing as I did.



Have a great Sunday!

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