kitty crack and other cravings

i'm hanging out with tobias. he's, actually, behaving himself fairly well. (puppies have an amazing ability to find tiny scraps of... anything.) toby has developed two obsessions:
he LOVES to steal fred's cigerettes... probably because i freak out which he really, really enjoys as he gleefully runs away from me.

his true love, though, is stealing food from the cats. every time, we go out for "poddy," we pass the cat food bowl. every time, he tries to steal a piece or two. he'll even see how many pieces he can get into his mouth and then, moments later drop them on the ground to be savoured one by one. as i type this, he's just run up to the top of the stairs to see if the kitchen door is open. it's not. if it was. he would be trying to score some "kitty crack." he's an addict. he'll run up those stairs at least 12 times an hour... in hopes of scoring a "fix."

* i have a right side migraine (side does matter.) speaking of addictions, i was craving dark chocolate in a big way and now.....arrrgh. in a short bit, i'm going to put toby in his room and take a long hot bath filled with lots of stinky, oily goodness. (hmmmm, maybe i should have just bought the decadent $22 chocolate fondue bubble bath that i saw at bath and body works. ) if i get my bonus tomorrow, i'll buy a jar... but for now, i am going to enjoy a jasmine scented bath.

ps... i just gave toby a stuffed animal as big as he is. poor teddy, he doesn't stand a chance. toby has mounted him and is trying to chew his face off. cute, huh?

going nowhere and loving it

i've joined an online fitness group on diaryland!!!! i am so tickled pink and ready to rack up some serious mileage. as mentioned before, i am insanely numbers driven and goal obsessed.

unfortunately, i broke my pedometer this morning. i didn't fasten it well enough to my pants and it went skittering across the ice.

my birthday was anti-climatic. oh well. i'll just have to make a huge deal out of my next birthday. life is not what happens to you; it's all about how you react and what you do to make it happen.

i am going on a long journey in hopes of finding inner-strength and a smaller pair of jeans.

poop, pee, and java... the stuff of which dreams are made

it's always easier to change your life for someone or something...

for example, i love mornings. i prefer being a morning person but i tend towards 'night owl' behavior. come morning, when i need to open the store, i will hit snooze until the very last possible minute (leaving just enough time for a quick shower, basic hygiene, and maybe a piece of fruit as i run out the door.) on days when i work til close, i am prone to exhibit the same behavior but sleeping in later, of course. when i get home, i wind up staying up late just doing basic every day stuff like washing the dishes or making lunch for the next day.

this last week, i've gotten up at seven am almost every day (i slept til 7:30 one day.) i love the feeling of having time to be awake. time to walk the dog. time to type a message online while baking some salmon. time to gather my thoughts. time for a nutricious breakfast (oatmeal with raisins and banana.)

time for jenny lynn's almost perfect cup of coffee.
mmmm... i am incredibly, undeniably... persnickety.
i belive that the perfect cup of coffee is:
brewed strong
a full well-balanced roast and the right bean (french roast- too acidic, costa rican- too wishy washy.... java or kona... heavenly)
and finally, tempered with warm milk
cafe au lait!

beyond giving me a reason to rise and shine at a respectable hour:
toby is teaching me patience.
if i give him enough time, he rewards me with an outdoor elimination.
whooo-hooo!
i never thought that someone peeing and pooping in my back yard would bring me such... joy.
seriously, i am ecstatic at the progress my little pooch is making. 4 months old and a bladder of steel. of course, i also need to watch him like a hawk when he's indoors to avoid any impulse eliminations. (my web-reading has gone from blogs and news to puppy training tips, puppy supplies, puppy meds, miniature schnauzer stuff etc.) of course, i'll move beyond this... some day.

well, the salmon is smelling good. i had better motivate myself to wash the dishes and do a load of laundry. taking back the morning requires using the time effectively.

when whining doesn't matter

i just sat down to wimper, whine, and kvetch...
a sore wrist, puppy meds, vet visits, financial woes...

when it hit me, squarely in the face: i am lucky.

if i want a fresh glass of water, i just need to walk ten feet.
if i want food, i walk upstairs. i never go a day without food (and if i do, it's my own fault.)

as for the pets, i chose to raise them. i chose to take responsibility for their health and well being.

i've also chosen to buy an absurd amount of clothing in the course of the last year.

i am fortunate.

my wrist will heal and i have access to health care to insure that.

i am blessed.

with these thoughts, i write this prayer:

sometimes i refuse to see beyond the smallness of my own life, please let me reach beyond myself and develop a truer, more abiding love with the world.

how to train a male in 3 weeks or less

toby likes to whine, whimper, and make a commotion in the middle of the night. repeatedly... 1 am, 3am, 4am, 5am, 6am...

fred has slept on the futon for the last three nights. i am not sure whether he is sleeping in the basement out of spite or because he was spending the majority of nights down there before the puppy. he falls asleep watching tv... normally, this habit is only problematic because i miss having my boyfriend in bed with me.

now, however, his habit combined with toby's is giving me a nervous stomach.

in order to train toby, i've set up the laundry room as toby's room. it's the only room in the house (besides the kitchen) with a non-carpeted floor. plus, it has a drain in the floor and a sink (for puppy baths.)

toby's room is right off of the family room where fred is "prefering" to sleep. (sigh) it would be easier if i could sleep on the futon.

it's almost time for the morning walk. so, i am going to log into d-land and read about lives which don't revolve around a 10 pound little punk.

real dogs wear sweaters

warning: this journal is going to take a canine-centric theme as i work out my new "status"

i've gone over to the "dark side"...
i am a puppy owner
but not just any puppy owner....
i am the kind of puppy owner who will dress her little guy in a sweater on a cold day.

friday, new year's eve, i adopted a three and a half month old miniature schnauzer whom i've named "toby" (after the west wing character.)

he was raised by menonites.
his colours are black and pepper.
he was born in missouri... and hates the cold.
i hate the cold too but i am hoping that we can overcome that aversion together. towards this aim, i am going to buy him some puppy apparel to make our walks less uncomfortable.

planned apparel purchases:
*waterproof booties to keep paws clean and salt-free
*a little sweater (to keep him warm but also to help curb his anxiety- having something close to a dog's body calms them)
*a little jacket for snowy days
*for wet days, a rain jacket

:-) doggie apparel has always struck me as silly (and some of it still does) but the sight of my little pup shivering tugs at my heart strings.

all this being said, when i take him to the groomer, i will refuse the bows and bandanas. he doesn't need accessories.