Thursday afternoon

[Othersharon]

Good afternoon all. Quiet here so far today! My FedEx finally came earlier. As predicted they apparently can’t read and delivered it out front. While I was trying to get it on the dolly a nice gentleman was walking by and kindly lifted it into the front sun porch. So now it’s behind a locked door and it’ll stay dry if we get the rain forecasted for later today. Blessings on the kindness of a stranger. So now I just need to notify my friends and see when he wants to put it in the window. I kinda want to try to do it myself but he made me promise to let him do it especially since it’s installed more or less permanently. Not to mention the weight of it and the one in the window now. Buddy managed to chew through the wires on my little utility trailer this morning. I had just come in for a couple of minutes and that’s what I found when I came back out. This chewing is getting to be too much. I sure hope he outgrows it at some point…soon! Sometimes I wonder if I can really handle this. It’s certainly been up and down with him! It’s definitely a hot summer day here today. When I left my appointment yesterday afternoon it was raining really hard but only about 3 miles later it was dry and blue sky! I asked the cashier at the store here in town if it had rained and she said just a little. It’s crazy how it moves through these mountains. Hoping everyone has a good rest of the day!

[BarbaraRose]

Good afternoon Sharon and all who follow,

I didn't get much sleep last night. I fell asleep for 2 hours, then Romeow woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep for another 2 hours because my mind was racing. Then fell asleep for a couple more hours before Romeow woke me up again. He wanted something and was knocking stuff over and making noise to get my attention. Still not sure what he wanted but he is sleeping now. I should go wake him up!! Sophie is playing with her mouse. She was laying with me on the bed earlier. She is so sweet but still skittish at times.

Not feeling too peppy today. Will work on my bedroom stuff a little at a time (mostly papers and misc small things that have collected here and there) and maybe fit in a nap later. Got a few small projects I can work on for some variety. Books are packed up and ready to be moved to a better spot once I figure out where that is. Should be in the shed but that is full right now. The only books I have in my bedroom now are my library books and a few books I ordered recently that I haven't read yet.

The guy I met at the potluck last week stopped by yesterday. He is going thru a divorce and still has to sell his house near Bakersfield (he rents a park model here now). I doubt he will have his act together for awhile.

Already 104* heading to 113* later. Have a good day and stay cool and dry!

[OregonLuvr]

I just came in from outside a bit ago. We are going to be hot today so I have to get my work done in the morning. Came in an made a meatloaf, still in the oven for a bit. Snapped my green beans to go with it....yum I am hungry but will wait for the meatloaf to get done. This will be a 2 handed job taking it out of the oven after my last disaster of it landing on the floor. And at least last time I had just washed the floor. So I salvaged most of it. Different molecular structure but it still tasted good. This time I have high hopes for it to remain upright.
I have one more camera to install but that can wait until tomorrow. Have to go to UPS for a return and Saturday need to go to my hearing aid appointment. I dont wear them alot, mostly if I put them in during the evening but really not a heck of alot of difference with the clarity. I dont have to have the tv on so loud but I dont have trouble hearing conversations or phone calls oh well, I will keep trying.
Sharon is your dog a "doodle"? Did you research anything on them LOL a friend has one and OMG always into everything, chews everything and he is 4....so good luck.

[Bethers]

Hi Ladies, Ginger picked me up and we drove down to Bisbee. Too hot to get out and walk around but we enjoyed the ride through Tombstone and Bisbee and talked a lot.

Karen, didn't you say you had a guarantee and can get a refund if you aren't wearing them? Think long and hard. You can always try again but if you aren't using them it might be right for you to go with the refund. I couldn't be without mine but I also have a major hearing loss.

Sharon, I'm sorry you're having so many problems with this pup. Some do need a lot more work than others. Good luck!

[Acadianmom]

I finally went and mowed in Maurice. I should have waited until later but it doesn't get much cooler until dark. It was partly cloudy and every once in a while there would be a cool breeze. We were under a heat advisory and the heat index was about 110.

Sharon, glad you got your air conditioner. Years ago I had a dog chew through the electric cord to a freezer. I didn't find it until the food had started to spoil. What a mess. I don't know how she didn't get electrocuted.

Barbie, I'm with you on not liking crowds now. There are a lot of festivals around here. They have started wanting you to pay with a credit or debit card to get in and pay for food. I don't have a debit card and I am not using a credit card to get in a festival. There is a Texas Roadhouse in Lafayette. We use to go but it is so popular that you might have an hour wait to get a table. When they first opened the Chicken Fried Steak would be hanging over the side of the plate. The last one I had was quite a bit smaller. I should go, I have an email for a free appetizer because my birthday is this month.

I need to go put the trash out and the bin by the road.

Martha

[JudyJB]

Barbie, there is a silver-looking window film you can get from a hardware store and put on the outside (or inside) of windows to keep the sun out in hot weather. But it also lets you see out. Might use the bubble stuff inside and silver stuff outside.

Well, I went in for my implant today. Got a phone call just before I arrived telling me that the dentist had looked at my x-rays and decided I did not have enough bone for an implant and wanted to talk to me about options!! This did not make me happy because I had driven 175 miles to get here and will have to drive back tomorrow to Michigan, plus I had parked a long way away and had to walk to dentist. I was really angry.

Anyway, this dentist is older and only comes in once a week, but he said he hesitated a lot, but decided the previous x-rays were clearer than the ones he took three weeks ago, and that an implant would not work. However, he suggested a bridge. He said it would be permanent and would be the best choice for me.

The thing is that I have never had a bridge before, and am hoping I did the right thing, and maybe some of you might have had experience you could share with me. I never got wisdom teeth, and the missing tooth is my 6-year molar. The 12-year molar behind it is in good condition, with no cap--just one small filling. So today, the dentist prepped my teeth on either side and put temporary caps on them. In three weeks, I will get permanent bridge.

So, now that the swelling has gone down and my jaw is less painful, and I managed to eat some cottage cheese and a scrambled egg, I Googled bridges, and articles say they can smell, and can rot the teeth next to them, and some other negative stuff. It's too late to change my mind, but does anyone have anything to reassure me??? Or to convince me to quit halfway through???

[snowball]

another trip to the store but did get some of the things I've been forgetting got some stuff that wasn't on the list hopefully it will be the last trip for the week... I will have to remember to get something out of the freezer or I will have to make a trip to the store... #3 dd was here so we had the speg as well as parm crusted chicken... a strawberry/spinach salad with raspberries and blackberries as well sure tasted good couldn't believe how good the blackberries were... mom actually finish up her plate was impressed was hoping to go see if the northern lights are visible but we would have to go out of town and it looks cloudy to the north and dd was tired so we didn't go... one day
I got a jury call a few weeks ago filled out the paper got a letter back today saying my request to be no on duty was denied so tomorrow I will call explain that I am caregiver for an almost 97 year old live 800 miles away (or whatever it is) I would need a more than a days notice if I was to appear for duty... I'm not against showing up it's just the doing it... oh well will have to see what happens after I call... I don't even know where the first papers are to even know what dates it was if it even said
it's hot and mom has turned off the fan why I don't know
Anne thanks for the information on the tomatoes couldn't think of the way to describe but misshapen. Occasionally they will have heirloom tomatoes in the store they are so expensive but so yummy
until recently I didn't realize Sharon that you live in an apartment when you talk about taking care of the lawn shoveling walks ect just assumed that you owned a house... Hope you find away to train Buddy to where you are happy with what his is doing..
my daughter was just telling me earlier that she is using the new style of laundry soap it actually sounds good especially when traveling although the issue maybe getting it but might be good to look into it...
you all have a great day
sheila

[Acadianmom]

Sheila, the last time I got one of the jury duty letters I called to change the date. I don't remember if it was when Harold was sick or if I was going to be out of town. The lady said that since I was over 70 I could be removed from the list of people they call. I wouldn't mind serving but figured it was just easier to be removed.

Martha

[BarbaraRose]

Didn't get much done today. I did weigh the cats. Romeow is still just over 12 lbs which hasn't changed for a few months so that is good. He is a big boy and doesn't need to get any bigger! Sophie has gained 2 1/2 lbs which is good! She was so thin when I got her so she needed to gain a little weight. She is now just over 8 pounds. They both get a lot of exercise which keeps them in shape. I put a collar on Sophie today and watched for a reaction. She actually did fine with it and isn't messing with it at all, so that is good. I need to get name tags for both of them. They are both also microchipped.

Took a long nap this afternoon. I need to get to sleep soon here as it is almost 2am. Romeow is under the covers with me.

[Redetotry]

Good afternoon all. Quiet here so far today! My FedEx finally came earlier. As predicted they apparently can’t read and delivered it out front. While I was trying to get it on the dolly a nice gentleman was walking by and kindly lifted it into the front sun porch. So now it’s behind a locked door and it’ll stay dry if we get the rain forecasted for later today. Blessings on the kindness of a stranger. So now I just need to notify my friends and see when he wants to put it in the window. I kinda want to try to do it myself but he made me promise to let him do it especially since it’s installed more or less permanently. Not to mention the weight of it and the one in the window now. Buddy managed to chew through the wires on my little utility trailer this morning. I had just come in for a couple of minutes and that’s what I found when I came back out. This chewing is getting to be too much. I sure hope he outgrows it at some point…soon! Sometimes I wonder if I can really handle this. It’s certainly been up and down with him! It’s definitely a hot summer day here today. When I left my appointment yesterday afternoon it was raining really hard but only about 3 miles later it was dry and blue sky! I asked the cashier at the store here in town if it had rained and she said just a little. It’s crazy how it moves through these mountains. Hoping everyone has a good rest of the day!

I wondered the same as Karen, if Buddy is a doodle. The trainers I know say they can only do so much as to training, something just goes haywire more often than one would expect with doodles. Having lived with a dog that was not a good fit for almost 15 years at one point, I can understand what you are experiencing. SInce Buddy is an only dog maybe rehoming would work for you both. He might just need a yard and a bunch of kids to keep him entertained and tired out. (((Hugs)))

[Redetotry]

Barbie, there is a silver-looking window film you can get from a hardware store and put on the outside (or inside) of windows to keep the sun out in hot weather. But it also lets you see out. Might use the bubble stuff inside and silver stuff outside.

Well, I went in for my implant today. Got a phone call just before I arrived telling me that the dentist had looked at my x-rays and decided I did not have enough bone for an implant and wanted to talk to me about options!! This did not make me happy because I had driven 175 miles to get here and will have to drive back tomorrow to Michigan, plus I had parked a long way away and had to walk to dentist. I was really angry.

Anyway, this dentist is older and only comes in once a week, but he said he hesitated a lot, but decided the previous x-rays were clearer than the ones he took three weeks ago, and that an implant would not work. However, he suggested a bridge. He said it would be permanent and would be the best choice for me.

The thing is that I have never had a bridge before, and am hoping I did the right thing, and maybe some of you might have had experience you could share with me. I never got wisdom teeth, and the missing tooth is my 6-year molar. The 12-year molar behind it is in good condition, with no cap--just one small filling. So today, the dentist prepped my teeth on either side and put temporary caps on them. In three weeks, I will get permanent bridge.

So, now that the swelling has gone down and my jaw is less painful, and I managed to eat some cottage cheese and a scrambled egg, I Googled bridges, and articles say they can smell, and can rot the teeth next to them, and some other negative stuff. It's too late to change my mind, but does anyone have anything to reassure me??? Or to convince me to quit halfway through???

Judy get the bridge! I wondered when your dentist recommended an implant especially when you also needed a bone graft. Personally I think when they do that especially at our age the reason is $$$. I had a 3 tooth bridge put in back in the sixties, the back side was gold. It lasted until about 5 years ago and I never had any problems. You can slide a certain type of floss underneath and keep it clean. I myself would have done nothing if the tooth was to the side. I know it's frustrating but I think you will be happy an older dentist was honest with you.

[Cudedog]

I wondered the same as Karen, if Buddy is a doodle. The trainers I know say they can only do so much as to training, something just goes haywire more often than one would expect with doodles. Having lived with a dog that was not a good fit for almost 15 years at one point, I can understand what you are experiencing. SInce Buddy is an only dog maybe rehoming would work for you both. He might just need a yard and a bunch of kids to keep him entertained and tired out. (((Hugs)))

Good morning, BJ.

Sharon's dilemma has been much on my mind for the last several days, and I was wondering if I should say anything or not, since it really is none of my business. Since I never have really let that stop me in the past, I think I will jump in for a bit. Thank you, BJ, for opening the topic.

I love dogs - all dogs, pretty much - unreservedly. The many dogs I have been blessed to have in my life over the last 50 years or so have mostly all been my rocks, and my blessings.

Luckily, I discovered at a fairly young age (30's) the breed of dog that was most suited to me (please don't ask me how or why they fit so well with me. . . I don't really know. They just do). My intense love of dogs started with my first love, an American Pit Bull Terrier, and evolved to a life-long attachment to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed.

I have one sleeping here on the couch beside me, even as I type.

That being said, these dogs are definitely not a good fit, or a good breed, for everyone (although I must say that one of their stellar traits is that they all have seemed to have an "on" and "off" switch, meaning they can be zinging full tilt around the yard one minute, and totally zonked out on the couch the next).

No breed of dog, or cross-bred dog, is a good fit for everyone. Sometimes a good fit is due to careful research of the person looking for a new pet, sometimes (even with extensive research) it can just be a total crapshoot.

At this stage in my life, I would want any potential future dog to just be a overall good fit. Sometimes one acquires a dog (for whatever reason) that just isn't that. Through no fault of the dog, and certainly through no fault of the new owner.

It just happens sometimes.

Sometimes a new dog just needs to get some age on them (I like to say that sometimes a person has to wait until the young dog "grows a brain"), sometimes a good trainer is the solution (and since no certification is needed in most places in order to call one's self a "dog trainer", the quality of the trainer, and the quality of the training, can vary. . . tremendously).

I was lucky when my long-ago pittie was a pup, and began to grow into herself a little bit. A local man who lived not far away trained police dogs for a living, and trained local dogs for fun (and dollars, of course).

On my (ex) husband's not-so-sage advice, "You better do something about that dog" (imagine this statement spoken with an angry snarl), I then contacted this man and trained with him for several months, from basic obedience to, eventually, off-leash work using hand signals. Both myself and my dog found that we really enjoyed the training.

I trained with him, I did not send my dog away to be trained by him). This man was incredibly competent, really knew his dogs, and the training we put on my dog lasted her lifetime. And taught me how to train my own future dogs in the process.

The thing to understand about dog training (at least in my opinion, and in my experience with my own dogs) is that you are not actually teaching "obedience", or for the dog to "mind you". What you are really teaching (and any good dog trainer will readily acknowledge this) is communication. You are teaching your dog a very real form of language, whether it consists of voice commands (a well trained dog usually doesn't need many of these), gestures, and body language.

Dogs, being non-verbal, often tend to pick up on gestures and body language (movement) faster and more readily than voice commands. Why? Because gestures and body language are a dog's natural form of communication.

And once a person can really communicate with their dog, the bond of love and trust that grows can be truly amazing.

This is getting WAY too long-winded again, sorry.

My totally unsolicited and likely unwanted advice would be to look around, take some time, and find a different trainer. Get references, that kind of thing. Maybe find out who trains police dogs in the area, and see who they might recommend.

Unfortunately, when all is said and done, no matter how much we might try, and no matter how much we might wish it. . . all dogs are not a good fit for all people. It's just the way it is.

Sometimes rehoming - although it might take some effort, and take some time - might be the best option for both owner and dog.

Although one's heart might be breaking to even consider it.

Anne

[BarbaraRose]

I always wondered about sending a dog off to be trained. I think both dog and owner need to be trained together.

[MandysMom]

Sheila, aren't you still on oxygen? Did you mention that to them? Why are they asking you to drive 800 miles?
You may need a Dr letter on your health to submit, with the wording including permanent disability on it.
I'm here, expecting very high temps, maybe over 110 this weekend. I had a high school class 75th Birthday party for tomorrow, but I'm not risking that between BP issues and a 13 yr old car, and 110°, it Just didn't seem like a great idea to drive 75 miles south for a 3 hour party. hard to believe all of us, including many I've known since kindergarten in September 1953, are still friends and keep up with each other and all of us turn 75 thus year!,
Hope everyone has a safe weekend.
Velda

[IrishIroamed]

Just my 2 cents about doodles~~~

As many of you know Molly was my heart dog and as years have passed, I believe she was a doodle before doodles were a thing. (About 24 years ago)

She was definately a handful as a puppy. I even had her on a schedule to start training professionally. All other dogs I was able to train myself, but she was driving me nuts. I ended up talking to the training place (ie a real facility, not a Petsmart type of place), telling them I needed help or I was taking her back to where I got her. We had a few individual sessions with their "behaviorist" before actual training started.

Long story short, once she got between 2-3 years old she was perfect! Smartest, most empathic, most fun and funny dog I've ever owned. One thing about the poodle part of a doodles is they are smart. Still miss that girl every day.

I think Buddy will be a good dog, as soon as the light bulb turns on in his brain.