DD Daughter, "Ewwwww, Pumpkin Slime!" -- October 1988


MC Daughter and #1 Son Giving Mr. Pumpkin the Eye -- October 1988


Word of the Day

The Dirty Bin - A large bin of discount products such as unwanted toys or DVDs that can be found at large supermarkets.

Happy


Anniversary!


MC Daughter and


D Buddy!

It's MC Daughter and D Buddy's wedding anniversary today! Happy Anniversary! They got married in Paris....Paris, Las Vegas. It was a beautiful wedding. A beautiful reception. Two beautiful people joined together to start a beautiful life. Happy Anniversary!

*******

I need to take a picture of Gypsy retrieving her duck. Cracks me up every time. The stuffed duck is almost as big as she is and yet she doesn't seem to have a bit of trouble as she leaps across the yard and flies into her basket to bring that duck back after I've thrown it. Repeatedly. Hilarious. We've made a practice of playing every morning as I attempt to sip on a cup of hot coffee. I use the word "attempt" because I usually end up spilling coffee all over the patio during our play sessions.

Gypsy and I are developing a routine, house-breaking and other. Her house-breaking is doing great! Last night I took her outside at 10 PM and then, this morning, I didn't get her up until 6 AM. That's 8 hours! No accidents! Of course, I still keep a really close eye on her. She doesn't bark or tell me that she has to go outside. However, she does have some "tells" that let me know that it's time to take her outside. Wandering off is a big "tell". She doesn't like to leave my side so when she does...I take her outside.

When Gypsy and I get up, I spoil her with a half container of Cesar Puppy Food while I'm getting my coffee in the morning. Then we go outside to play for a while. After that, it's time for her to sit in the basket under my computer while I blog or answer e-mails or play Pogo. During this time I'm usually listening to talk radio via live-streaming on my computer. She usually settles down during this time to take a nap but if I get up to get a cup of coffee, she wakes up immediately to make sure that I'm not going to disappear for too long. If it looks like I'm planning on disappearing, she hops out of the basket to follow me around.

I don't spend the entire day on the computer. While I make breakfast and while HTP and I are eating breakfast, Gypsy goes outside to sit in her outside basket or nibble on some dry food that I keep in her bowl by her water dish. Dry food isn't her favorite but a dog has to eat and I refuse to feed her that expensive Cesar food exclusively. It's not good for her teeth...her very sharp puppy teeth. After breakfast, Gypsy and I sit down to watch the news while I work on a Sudoku puzzle and if it's nice outside (it normally is really nice outside here in Arizona) and Gypsy chews on one of her "bones". If there's nothing on TV, I'll sit outside on the lounger sipping on coffee and working on Sudoku while Gypsy chews on her toys. Gypsy likes to chew and I make sure that she's got plenty of things that are acceptable to chew on. So far we've managed to avoid any shoe chewing incidents. If she decides to nibble on my fingers, I substitute a chew toy...fast.

Actually, the only times Gypsy spends in her kennel are when it's too hot outside (which happens here in Arizona)for her to be outside and I'm doing something that I can't do with a puppy at my feet or when it's bedtime. She tends to want to settle right on top of my toes and tripping becomes a real issue. Hazardous for Gypsy and hazardous to me. Plus...I still don't trust her 100% in the house-breaking area. If I can't keep an eye on her, she needs to be in a place where she won't get into trouble. Her kennel. She likes her kennel and plays quietly (aside from the squeaking of her toys)or naps cuddled up to her stuffed frog.

Most of the day, Gypsy is either sitting right next to me, draped across my lap, or sitting at my feet. We go for a walk in the afternoon when I go pick up the mail. She needs some training on walking etiquette but that will come. It's not like she's taking me for a walk. Rather, she tends to walk in such a manner as to make me walk trippingly up the sidewalk as I attempt not to step on her. If I stop, she settles herself at a sit between my two feet which makes starting up again a bit of a challenge because I now have to avoid tripping over the leash. *sigh* Not the ideal situation but at least she's not fighting the leash or jerking my arm out of its socket. This is a good thing.

Last night Gypsy and I watched a special on TV about Charles Schultz. Must I explain that he was the creator of the Peanuts cartoons? Anyway, as I watched the special, with Gypsy on my lap, I was struck by how very real and true all his cartoons were and how his cartooning reflected his own life's realities, happy and rather sad. And then they showed Charles Schultz sitting comfortably with his own dog followed by this one cartoon he drew of Lucy hugging Snoopy, "Happiness is a warm puppy." I think my Gypsy would make a good Snoopy. Happiness IS a warm puppy.

Murphyism of the Day

Engler's Rule of Innovation

Innovation requires bypassing--not building upon--existing expertise.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you. -- John Wooden