Friday, April 27, 2007

Friday Five: What Are You...

A quick-and-simple Friday Five from Reverendmother at RevGalBlogPals. The Typist and I are doing a tandem play again, since y'all seem to like that!

What Are You...

1. Wearing
Typist: It's casual Friday, so my favorite jeans and red t-shirt. Still barefoot 'cause I haven't left the house yet.
Cub: My usual collar with the sun-moon-stars pattern woven into it. (The Boy and I recommend Bison Designs for the stylish hound who wants something a little more special than your average collar. My pattern appears to be discontinued, but The Boy wears Black Thorn.)

2. Pondering
T: Whether I'm ready to submit my answers to the questions asked of those willing to be considered for our General Conference delegation.
C: What's going on in the front yard. I am monitoring the perimeter via the dining room and guest room windows, alternately.

3. Reading
T: The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (hmm, potential future RevGals book discussion?).
C: RevGalPetPals blogs from Molly, Littlemankitty, Whistle (although he hasn't blogged in a long time, so I've been keeping up with Fish's broken leg at St. Casserole's place), and Tiria.

4. Dreaming
T: Nothing in particular, but I'm reminded of this great story, song, and slideshow from TFIA.
C: Chasing bunnies. Chasing squirrels. Chasing The Boy.

5. Eating
T: Nothing so far this morning, but I am drinking some nifty coffee I got as a thank-you gift for leading a blogging workshop!
C: Had my chow, and one of my peanut-butter-covered pills, and I think the other one's coming soon.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Bicycles: not usually a dog's friend...


...but on May 5 and 6, bicycles will be my Aunt Pinky's friend, so I guess that will have to do.

See, Aunt Pinky has this nasty thing called MS. (That's why it took her so long to paint my picture, because she wasn't feeling well.) Lots of thumb-havers are trying to get rid of MS, but it takes a lot of work and money. So, to help, The Alpha is riding in the MS 150. That means he's been spending lots of time pedaling on that bike that doesn't go anywhere and also he can't play with his dogs while he's riding it. Dogs need lots of attention, you know.

One cool thing is that The Alpha has a special bandana to wear. Aunt Pinky and Friend Regina, who has MS too, wrote special messages on it for him. Usually I'm the one who wears bandanas, so I hope he will let me borrow it after his ride is over.

If anybody wants to help The Alpha (and Aunt Pinky and Friend Regina, too), here's the spot.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

It's a beautiful day...

...but we haven't been allowed to spend much time out in it.

Early this morning The Alpha went outside and sprinkled some stuff in the yard, and he doesn't want us messing around in whatever it is. Well, if he didn't want dogs messing around in his stuff, why did he sprinkle it all over the yard? Which is exactly where dogs like to be? Especially on sunny days?

Such a mystery.
Maybe if I were a bloodhound, I could solve it.
But I'm a German Shedder.
I think I'll just go take a nap in the corner.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Friday Five: Surprised by Joy

Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No."He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. (John 21:5-7)

Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5b)

From Songbird over at RevGalBlogPals:
This week I've been watching parents of the young people slain at Virginia Tech trying to make meaning out of the lives of their lost children, and each one seems to begin by focusing on something joyful about that child. It's a gift that most humans have brains wired to respond in that way. For some of us it can be harder to work our way out of dark places, but I believe joy remains the key. It is the spirit of resurrection.
Tell us about five people, places, or things that have brought surprising, healing joy into your life.

It's another tandem play this week from The Typist and The Best Dog Ever:

Typist: Gotta say The Alpha right off the bat! He stuck with me through four years of dating while at separate colleges, and freshman year was definitely no picnic. He still brings joy every day.
Cub: I agree. He's lots of fun and knows how to wrassle like a dog.

T: Music, of course. Some Wednesday nights when I head to church, I'm already completely drained. But when I get home at bedtime after back-to-back rehearsals, I just can't calm down and go to sleep right away because the music lingers within me.
C: The Boy. Yes, it's surprising, because I didn't want him to stay when he first showed up, and he can still sometimes be a nuisance, but he keeps me playful.

T: Both dogs! They are gifts from God. Cub came into my life at an especially rough time, and raising her from a pup was exactly what I needed to do that summer.
C: Aw, thanks... You give me joy, too, because even though you make me go to the vet a whole lot, you do take really good care of me. Sometimes you think I've forgotten the whole being abandoned thing, but I haven't. I know I've got a great thing going here!

T: BlogPals. I know some of them in person, and knew some of them before blogging. But there are also those I've never actually met that have blossomed into very real friendships all the same. Case in point: Zorra has provided great support via email as we've dealt with some of Cub's recent mystery maladies.
C: Hip surgery. It was really, really horrible and I was really, really angry afterwards. But then after a few weeks, I realized I could roll over on my back again without it hurting! It brought me a lot of joy that day, and still does.

T: Our amazing and wonderful niece M, who was recently accepted to her first-choice graduate school. I love that she's become more like a sister to me as we've both grown up (I was nine when she was born - yes, I'm the baby of my family, closer in age to much of the next generation than to my own siblings).
C: People coming over. Jessica came last night, and that was fun! Who's next?

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Belated Easter photos

Just two pictures. We haven't been that up on things lately. (Well, except some of the furniture.)

This picture shows what the thumb-havers had for breakfast on Easter. I'm supposed to tell you that no, there wasn't any ham. (I think I'm missing out on a joke or something.)


And this one was supposed to be some kind of artsy shot of us dogs, with the curtains blowing in the wind and everything. But really, we were just wondering why somebody else was out there using our sidewalk.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Friday Five: Dental Edition

Well, at first we weren't going to play, but then I remembered I have a hole where my toof used to be, so The Typist and I are playing together this week. From Cheesehead and Reverendmother at RevGalBlogPals:

1. Are you a regular patron of dentists' offices? Or, do you go
a) faithfully, as long as you have insurance, or
b) every few years or so, whether you need it or not, or
c) dentist? what is this "dentist" thing you speak of?

Typist: a) and I'm due to go this month but haven't made the appointment.
Cub: well, it's rolled in with my vet trips, so I guess I should answer c).

2. Whatever became of your wisdom teeth?

T: Cut out when I was 15, before they could move around and mess with my newly-straightened other teeth. Plus: I got to live off milkshakes for a week. Minus: I couldn't open my mouth as wide as I wanted to when I hollered for the football and basketball teams the following year of high school (this, for a cheerleader, was a stumbling block. Yes, I was a cheerleader. You got a problem with that? There's a "most spirited" trophy from that year somewhere in the attic.).
C: I have no idea what she just said.

3. Favorite thing to eat that's BAAAAAD for your teeth.

T: Probably caramels. Or maybe vanilla taffy from the state fair. (But most certainly NOT Oreos. They look like instant cavity when you're finished chewing them, which creeps me out so much that I don't eat them at all.)
C: Bones. Real bones. And they don't let me have them any more.

4. Ever had oral surgery? Commiserate with me.

T: Nothing beyond the wisdom teeth experience.
C: Oh, that's what it was called when I took a nap at the vet and woke up with a hole where my toof used to be!

5. "I'd rather have a root canal than _________________."

T: Um, go to my high school class reunion, I think.
C: Have my temperature taken. From what I understand, they would let me take another nap at the vet for the root canal. They take my temperature when I'm awake, and in a very impolite way.

Bonus: Does your dentist recommend Trident?

T: Hmm, I've never checked to see.
C: Dogs aren't very good at the whole concept of chewing gum.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

I have a big new word!

This evening The Alpha and The Typist have been saying this big new word about me.

Hypothyroidism.

From what I can tell, I think it means I'll be taking another pill.

But they seem pretty happy about it. They don't seem to be all worried anymore. And they're putting "no" in front of other words like ultrasound and biopsy, which also appears to be good.

And when I get pills, I also get peanut butter, so that works out pretty well.

Why I'm a United Methodist

Well, Andrew linked to it last night and apparently people have been reading it, so I'll go ahead and give you an obvious route to my commentary on why I'm a United Methodist.

Yes, the Cub girl shares the photo accompanying the column. Just so you know, that photo appears by special request of the managing editor. Robin Russell is a woman of impeccable taste.

Maundy Thursday - not Easter yet!

When you spend Wednesday evening working on Easter music, it's kind of hard to get into the whole contemplative Maundy Thursday groove. My current earworm is a band/choir extravaganza we're using to kick off both services Sunday morning, in which both of us girls singing lead have to try really hard not to lay on any pop-star-esque sap, yet still convey joy and wonder and all that jazz.

But tonight comes first. I'm just sayin'...

Monday, April 02, 2007

Rides, but at a price.

Friday I got to go on a ride with The Typist, and today I got to go on another ride with The Alpha!

But they were both the kind with needles at the other end. Friday there was just one needle, but today there were four needles, which I know because that's how many paws I have (I learned that from another blog buddy, but I can't remember who).

Besides all the needles there was also some tickling of my tummy, and they put an uncomfortable thing in a very impolite place, and then did some talking with The Alpha. Then the lady vet asked to see my teeth.

So I showed her.

I did a really good job showing her my teeth. She didn't think she needed to see them any more.

And then The Alpha had to stand at the counter and rub one of those sticks on a piece of paper before we could leave. And then we went home.