Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Thursday, August 07, 2003
Puppy training turns into personality test
She’s adorable. She has the cutest little flat nose, and the most enchanting round eyes I have ever seen. Her name is Lucy, and she is my pug.
Things between Lucy and I got off to a great start. She would lie in my lap and fill my little apartment with sweet pug snores. She wasn’t really interested in chewing on things or making a mess. Life was grand.
Then she hit puppyhood.
I tried to head her off by teaching her a few tricks — sit, crate, down. I spent weeks thinking that I was teaching her. I was giving out commands and like a good dog, I thought she enjoyed our training sessions and the treats. What I didn’t realize is that my fawn-colored, flat-nosed friend was the one giving out orders.
Without my realizing it, Lucy first set out to correct my sleeping habits. You see, she felt as though my sleeping until 8:30 a.m. was wasting valuable daylight.
She would nap during the day, in order to have the energy to whimpering at 6 a.m. for as long as necessary to wake me. Though this technique, she brought to my attention the value of the morning hours.
Now, I have checked my email, exercised, showered and fed the dog all before 8:30 a.m. By taking advantage of the morning, Lucy has given me more time in the evenings to do things like play with her.
Lucy has also brought to my attention how much T.V. I watch. I hadn’t realized how much time I spent sitting inside until my dog began running laps in my living room, biting me as she passed by. Her tactics led to her being taken on a walk in order to expend some of her boundless energy.
After a couple days, I was prompting her to take walks before she had to result to her primal dog instincts. I enjoy our walks very much now, and I don’t really miss the three episodes of Law and Order a week I had to give up.
Lucy has also taught me the value of persistence. Over and over again I have emphasized the importance of where she should and should not “go potty.”
When she finally went to my back door and gave me the signal to go outside, I was elated. My perseverance had taken us to the promised land.
I came into the newsroom and announced to my fellow educated professionals that my “doggy had gone potty all by herself.”
It was after this proclamation that I realized Lucy had instilled yet another lesson — delight in the little things.
Lucy, the ten-pound wonder pug has made me a happier person.
As I am just beginning to set up my new life here in Madisonville, I have passed up my own street, confused one public official for another and forgotten where I parked while at Wal-Mart. The day to day interactions with my puppy, however, have kept my mind off the speed bumps of life.
Seeing her curly tail when I come in the door in the evenings makes me smile no matter how many car accidents or drug busts I covered that day.
Raising a puppies is hard work with their potty accidents, constant chewing habits and relentless pursuit of all things in motion (like a broom, vacuum or owner).
But with all things considered, I love my Lucy.
She’s adorable. She has the cutest little flat nose, and the most enchanting round eyes I have ever seen. Her name is Lucy, and she is my pug.
Things between Lucy and I got off to a great start. She would lie in my lap and fill my little apartment with sweet pug snores. She wasn’t really interested in chewing on things or making a mess. Life was grand.
Then she hit puppyhood.
I tried to head her off by teaching her a few tricks — sit, crate, down. I spent weeks thinking that I was teaching her. I was giving out commands and like a good dog, I thought she enjoyed our training sessions and the treats. What I didn’t realize is that my fawn-colored, flat-nosed friend was the one giving out orders.
Without my realizing it, Lucy first set out to correct my sleeping habits. You see, she felt as though my sleeping until 8:30 a.m. was wasting valuable daylight.
She would nap during the day, in order to have the energy to whimpering at 6 a.m. for as long as necessary to wake me. Though this technique, she brought to my attention the value of the morning hours.
Now, I have checked my email, exercised, showered and fed the dog all before 8:30 a.m. By taking advantage of the morning, Lucy has given me more time in the evenings to do things like play with her.
Lucy has also brought to my attention how much T.V. I watch. I hadn’t realized how much time I spent sitting inside until my dog began running laps in my living room, biting me as she passed by. Her tactics led to her being taken on a walk in order to expend some of her boundless energy.
After a couple days, I was prompting her to take walks before she had to result to her primal dog instincts. I enjoy our walks very much now, and I don’t really miss the three episodes of Law and Order a week I had to give up.
Lucy has also taught me the value of persistence. Over and over again I have emphasized the importance of where she should and should not “go potty.”
When she finally went to my back door and gave me the signal to go outside, I was elated. My perseverance had taken us to the promised land.
I came into the newsroom and announced to my fellow educated professionals that my “doggy had gone potty all by herself.”
It was after this proclamation that I realized Lucy had instilled yet another lesson — delight in the little things.
Lucy, the ten-pound wonder pug has made me a happier person.
As I am just beginning to set up my new life here in Madisonville, I have passed up my own street, confused one public official for another and forgotten where I parked while at Wal-Mart. The day to day interactions with my puppy, however, have kept my mind off the speed bumps of life.
Seeing her curly tail when I come in the door in the evenings makes me smile no matter how many car accidents or drug busts I covered that day.
Raising a puppies is hard work with their potty accidents, constant chewing habits and relentless pursuit of all things in motion (like a broom, vacuum or owner).
But with all things considered, I love my Lucy.
Tuesday, August 05, 2003
I just finished making a no-bake cheesecake. Ah the wonders of confectionary science. We're having a lucheon tomorrow at work -- the monthly pot luck. The theme for this month is country cookin', and I can think of nothing that's more like this country than a no-bake cheesecake.
**pauses to make the pug stop chewing on the chair. A little bit of Dawn does go a long way. Nearly every surface in my home has Dawn on it to keep my dog from chewing on it. **
I'm beginning to think I need a raise. The thing that sucks about the news business is that the only way to really get a raise is to change newspapers. Supervisors are slow to compliment and publishers never want to share the wealth. So when you want more money, you move. It's a business with lots and lots of hard work ... or not. You see there are tons of lazy journalists, most of them do TV, but there are plenty in the paper business as well. They don't bother to get the whole story or take good notes, and when a good journalist comes after them and actually tries to do some honest work, the people won't talk because the lazy writer burned him or her. So to all the lazy writers out there, screw you. I'm out on the streets cleaning up your mess and trying to do my job at the same time. Lord knows I don't get paid enough to do that.
No new news on the wedding yet, but the guest list is a little longer than it should be. I just wish we could get a reading now in order to gage actual attendance so we don't have to add chairs at the last minute. I'm also a little discouraged on the photography. The lowest packages for the photographers I really like are over $400. I would really like to go with the best photographer we can and the most coverage we can. It's one of the most important things to me. Anyone who knows me knows I am quite the shutter bug myself. After my wedding dress has long been in the closet and all the flowers gone, we'll have those pictures to help us remember what a wonderful day it was. I love Jon so much that I don't any moment of that day lost. I know that no matter who takes the pictures, we'll still be married at the end of the day, but how great would it be to have some really good quality candid shots of Jon and I all dressed up and lovey? I really want someone to do it who can take pictures that capture the philosophy of our love. That may sound like something from a bridal magazine, but I hate those textbook Bride and Groom coming in, Bride with mother, Bride with Father, Bride and Groom with mother, etc..... How about the little sister helping her older sister into her dress, or the father of the bride giving his daughter a kiss before he walks her down the aisle and what about the newly weds stealing kisses when no one is looking? Those are the moments I want to hang on to.
**pauses to make the pug stop chewing on the chair. A little bit of Dawn does go a long way. Nearly every surface in my home has Dawn on it to keep my dog from chewing on it. **
I'm beginning to think I need a raise. The thing that sucks about the news business is that the only way to really get a raise is to change newspapers. Supervisors are slow to compliment and publishers never want to share the wealth. So when you want more money, you move. It's a business with lots and lots of hard work ... or not. You see there are tons of lazy journalists, most of them do TV, but there are plenty in the paper business as well. They don't bother to get the whole story or take good notes, and when a good journalist comes after them and actually tries to do some honest work, the people won't talk because the lazy writer burned him or her. So to all the lazy writers out there, screw you. I'm out on the streets cleaning up your mess and trying to do my job at the same time. Lord knows I don't get paid enough to do that.
No new news on the wedding yet, but the guest list is a little longer than it should be. I just wish we could get a reading now in order to gage actual attendance so we don't have to add chairs at the last minute. I'm also a little discouraged on the photography. The lowest packages for the photographers I really like are over $400. I would really like to go with the best photographer we can and the most coverage we can. It's one of the most important things to me. Anyone who knows me knows I am quite the shutter bug myself. After my wedding dress has long been in the closet and all the flowers gone, we'll have those pictures to help us remember what a wonderful day it was. I love Jon so much that I don't any moment of that day lost. I know that no matter who takes the pictures, we'll still be married at the end of the day, but how great would it be to have some really good quality candid shots of Jon and I all dressed up and lovey? I really want someone to do it who can take pictures that capture the philosophy of our love. That may sound like something from a bridal magazine, but I hate those textbook Bride and Groom coming in, Bride with mother, Bride with Father, Bride and Groom with mother, etc..... How about the little sister helping her older sister into her dress, or the father of the bride giving his daughter a kiss before he walks her down the aisle and what about the newly weds stealing kisses when no one is looking? Those are the moments I want to hang on to.
