fearless warrior! (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

It’s sleeting. Never mind that it’s supposed to be 67 degrees tomorrow; right now, it’s sleeting. Sleet makes noise when it hits the windows. Dakota seems to think he is the Protector From All Things That Make Noise - the washing machine on spin cycle, trash cans that fall over, and apparently sleet. And how does a dog protect his domain from sleet? By repeatedly smashing his nose against the window in an attempt to attack said sleet.

Now the fearless warrior is hiding under my chair. Perhaps I need to re-think the “fearless” part of his title…

let’s catch up on things, shall we? (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

family & friends
I haven’t seen kidlet in over two weeks and I miss her. She’ll be with us this weekend, though, and we’ll have plenty of time to catch up since the husband will be spending the night at the church Friday night through Saturday afternoon. Why? Read on. The other half of my gene pool apparently is having issues with staying on his bike and thus requires knee surgery next week. He’s a big boy, though, so I know he can handle it, just like the husband handled having a cortisone shot in his shoulder this week. I’m fairly certain my pleurisy has healed up for the most part… the exception being that I still have back pain issues when standing for a long period of time - by which I mean more than 45 minutes. Ask me how I know. We’re just one big health challenged family :P

I’ve been running a little ragged, and haven’t had a heck of a lot of time to actually communicate with my friends, so for those of you that I don’t see on a regular basis, I’m sorry that I suck with the emails and phone calls lately. I still love you :D We did get a chance to finally catch up with J and his new wife a couple of weekends ago. Made me realize just how much I miss having him around (as in “in the same country”).

church
So why is my husband spending the night at church this weekend? Because he’s cooking a pig. Two pigs, to be precise. The church is having a carnival on Sunday afternoon as part of a community outreach event type thing, and along with the carnival comes a pig roast. I, personally, am glad I’m not the one that has to turn a pig on the cooker at 3 in the morning. I’ll be going nuts enough as it is Sunday morning trying to not let my anxiety get the better of me. It’s my first time singing with the worship team during a service, and, well, let’s just call it performance anxiety with a little bit of drama thrown in. I’ll be okay, though, as long as I don’t make a bigger deal out of it in my head than it really is. It doesn’t help that last night’s practice was… not bad, but not great, either. Something was off and I can’t put my finger on it.

dog
Yeah, I had to include the dog. Dakota went with us to visit my parents this past weekend. We left him with them for a few hours while we went to New Hope to check out a craft fair that my sister-in-law was participating in. No big deal, right? Not so much. The little bugger escaped out the garage door and took himself for a little walk and didn’t want to come back. Thankfully a nice man down the street caught him and held on to him. I love my dog to death, but man, I’d love to have a dog that could be trusted off leash -_-

cats
I definitely think I’m allergic to my cats :( I have yet to find a caring home for them, though, and I refuse to just turn them over to the shelter. I did have a dream last night that one of the guys from church took the little one (the guy married to the receptionist, for those of you who know). Really odd. Actually, I’m a little perturbed that he was in my dream :P

tv
SARAH LIVES! ‘Nuff said.

happy birthday, lil buddy. (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

I’m either 2 days late or 4 days early. The breeder we got Dakota from accidentally wrote the wrong birth date on his puppy folder, but she called me a day or two after we brought him home to inform me of his actual birthday. It’s either the 2nd or the 8th - whichever one wasn’t on the folder that I got rid of a long time ago. Dakota’s two now, and he’s definitely got his own set of personality quirks:

• He’s terrified of any stainless steel bowl after it clatters. Or anything that makes noise when it’s not supposed to. He ran into a box of blocks at my friend’s house the other day and afterwards gave it wide berth because, y’know… those blocks… they’re scary.
• Thunder/fireworks/rain/loud noises emanating from the sky cause him to run around whimpering until he can find a lap to crawl onto (usually mine).
• He will not get into a car that’s running. Actually, I’m rather grateful that he refuses to go near any running vehicle. This is a vast improvement over his previous car chasing habit.
• Dakota will only cock his head to the left, never to the right.
• When playing fetch, he’ll run to the human that he wants to play with and high-five them. If he runs back to you and doesn’t high-five you, he’s not interested in playing anymore, unless you want to play tug-of-war.

Life with a Shiba Inu… never a dull moment :P

what the heck. (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

Ok, dog people out there… what the heck is going on with my dog? Kota’s been frenetically rubbing his chin on the floor for no apparent reason, followed by trying to eat the floor. I’m not talking little nibbles on the floor, either. I’m talking jaws wide open to the point where he can’t really grasp anything because it’s, well, the floor. Thankfully he hasn’t actually done any damage to the floor except to lick it to death :P Outwardly he seems fine - no scratches, bites, or any other sort of visible irritation. He hasn’t been anywhere new, nor have we made any changes to his environment. Allergies, maybe? Or should I chalk this up to the fact that my dog is simply odd?

it’s here! (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

It took a lot of foam rubber padding stuff, foam blocks designed for carrying kayaks, a few blankets, and several tie straps, but my piano finally made it to the new house. It’s in desperate need of a pitch adjustment and a tuning, but I can handle the dissonance for the time being. I have a feeling that won’t last very long though, because there’s nothing more annoying than knowing your fingers are on the right keys, but hearing the music as if they aren’t. There’s a regular old desk lamp on top of the piano at the moment because I forgot to bring along the piano lamp - something that also needs to be remedied fairly soon if I don’t want to blind myself at night.

The animals have all had different reactions to this new piece of furniture. Abby, the not-quite cat, is now the official Kitten on the Keys. Munchkin has figured out that the top of the piano makes for an excellent bed, and I’ve got to figure out how to keep her from jumping up there. The usual spray bottle method won’t work because I don’t exactly want to give my piano a bath :P Dakota can’t figure out what to make of the piano. When I was messing around and just playing random keys, his head cocked so far to the side that I thought he was going to fall over. I spent a good chunk of time getting reacquainted with my piano over the weekend and today, and realized just how rusty I am. Growing up, I played violin, too, so my left hand was about equal with my right as far as dexterity (I’m right-handed). Now? Not so much. In fact, the book on top of the pile to the left is my trusty old Hanon book. On the stand is George Winston’s Variation on The Kanon. Some of my music is missing, a fact that sorely disappoints me because there was some good stuff in there (Classics to Modern, anyone?). Oh well.. it’ll turn up eventually.

And just because I feel like it… a gratuitous picture of Munchkin and Dakota. Notice how the dog is sulking in the background? That’s because the cat put him in his place when we first brought him home, and he won’t go anywhere near her now. He had been sitting where she is in the pic, looking out into the backyard until she came by and kicked him out. Silly dog… can’t hold his own against a kitty.

things i learned this weekend (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

The following pretty much sums up the weekend:

1. Cats will eventually get into yarn that is not attached to needles. The dog will also manage to get involved. The cats, however, will be able to escape before the camera makes an appearance.
2. One quart of paint just barely coats our half bath, while one gallon is plenty for our full bath.
3. Painting behind toilets is a royal pain in the arse.
4. When the husband says, “It’s ok, I have a steady hand and don’t need to tape the trim”… tape the trim.
5. If you think you won’t have enough hot dogs for a mass picnic, the amount leftover will be the exact amount you ran out to get as the “just in case” supply.

i feel so… loved. (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

‘Kota just brought me a gift. Well, technically he left it outside on the patio, because I told him he most certainly was not allowed to bring it inside.

“It” is a freshly caught, now beheaded dead little birdie.

Ewwww…..

obligatory puppy pics (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

Jenna beat me to posting this pic, but I still had to post it here anyway. I caught this one yesterday afternoon. The part I didn’t get on camera was when Kaos initially laid her head down on Dakota’s side. He didn’t really care for that, though, and scrunched over until her head slid down onto the patio. They’re getting to be quite the pair of puppy pals, even if they can’t eat together.

If you look closely (click through to the bigger version), Dakota’s actually got his paw on top of Kaos’ in this picture. The two of them kept doing cute things when I was inside, so most of the pictures from yesterday are taken through the blinds in my kitchen and dining room, hence the extraordinary amount of white (green) space. If I opened the door, they both trampled over each other trying to get to me first :P

I’m not sure Dakota knows how to properly sit on the couch… or any chair for that matter. He likes to hang out on the back of the couch - something I can pretty much guarantee he learned from the cats. It still amuses me to come walking through the room and see the dog in odd places. Like here. Or here. Or here. Ok, so that last one wasn’t of his own doing. I stuck him on the counter so he’d stop squirming while I was trying to get a good look at a cut on his muzzle. But still… he’s an odd puppy. Lovable, but odd.

spring! (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

It’s here! It’s really here! Spring weather, I mean. I spent yesterday afternoon out in the backyard with the dogs, just enjoying the warmth of the sun. The grill has gotten a lot of use over the past few days with burgers and steaks (and chicken tonight), which makes the husband happy. I’ve had an intense craving for strawberries lately, and I absolutely cannot wait until the Strawberry Festivals start up again. This kind of weather always makes me want to go out and do something. Next weekend I’ll hopefully be going to Maryland Sheep and Wool with Lal and her friend Helen to indulge my inner craft geek, so that’ll be a nice little outing.

By the way, the dogs got along just fine in the backyard. They spent most of the time just lounging around, save for the few games of chase initiated by Dakota. Kaos quickly discovered that lying in the dirt in the shade is a great way to cool off, and since both the dogs follow the “monkey see, monkey do” way of life, Dakota turned rather, uh, brown. He’s learned that Kaos is most definitely ahead of him in terms of pack order, so he doesn’t fight over his toys or sticks or… well, anything, really. Except food. Food is still a BIG issue for Dakota, and I’m not really sure how to safely work with him on that. Ideas, anyone?

ahh… sunshine. (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

We finally had a warm, beautiful spring day around these parts. Husband got to take a (somewhat) leisurely drive up along the river to go pick up some friends of ours who kayaked down said river, and then he and the kidlet got to play with power tools in the backyard (yay for no injuries!). Me? I supplied the two of them with homemade tortilla chips and salsa, made a ridiculously simple pie for dinner’s dessert, soaked in the tub, and finally got some rest. This darn cold has snuck its way down into my chest now, and whatever little energy I actually exerted today has completely drained me.

End result? Yay for happy weather, boo for not being able to thoroughly enjoy it.

By the way, the cold medicines that have been sequestered behind the pharmacy counter? WAY better than the reformulated crap that’s available in the aisle. Suck it up and go through all the hassle to get the good stuff. I missed my magic red pseudoephedrine filled Sudafed pills.

Hmm… methinks I might be a little too dopey from medication…

PS: Dakota apparently doesn’t remember our big standing fan, seeing as how he’s standing on the bed staring at it like it’s some sort of alien. Silly puppy.

a letter from dakota (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

Dear Kaiser,

It’s been a while since we got to play, so I just thought I’d let you know what was going on around here. Since it was SO nice outside yesterday, I got to be in the backyard ALL AFTERNOON by myself! I think Abby was jealous, because she sat next to the screen door staring at me the whole time. She must be a little scaredy-cat, though. I got bored and figured out how to open the screen door all by myself, but I don’t know how to close it… so I just left it open. And Abby didn’t even go outside! She just sat next to the door the whole time until Mommy realized what I did and closed the door for me.

Oh! And you know how you keep telling me that it’s just so much easier to go THROUGH the door instead of waiting for Mommy or Daddy to open it? Guess what!! You were right! Daddy was making me wait SO LONG to go outside after opening the big glass door that when he FINALLY said it was ok, I went right through the screen door. Well, I didn’t do it quite like you did, because the screen was already separating from the door frame. I may get to try it again, because Mommy said it was time to get a new screen door that locks. I guess she doesn’t want me to be able to open the door again.

I can’t wait until we can play together again!

Your pal,

Dakota

more on kaos (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

I can’t emphasize enough how great of a dog Kaos is. It really is a shame that she can’t be around cats, because that’s the one thing that really seems to bring out her aggressiveness.

I’ve kept her on leash whenever she isn’t in her crate, and she does respond very well to being tethered - after all, that’s what she grew up with. Dakota hangs back a little bit, but that’s to be expected since, well, he picked a fight with her. It’s not her fault that his face is small enough to fit in her mouth. Kaos was SO happy to see me when I got home from work, and she really does follow you around willingly. Right now she’s content to just lay on her bed and chew on a rubber toy with Dakota nearby.

Kaos is a very loving, friendly dog, and believe me - if things could work out with all of us in one household, I’d keep her in a heartbeat.

welcome home, kaos. (multifarious miscellany (kitters)) by ami

After a long two days, Kaos finally made it to her new home. Thank you to all the drivers who helped along the way, and a very big thank you to the driver who sent along the big comfy bed! She’s still figuring out this new home, and trying to adjust to having a fur-brother. Dakota’s also trying to get used to not being the only puppy anymore. It’ll take some work, but I have faith in both of them. Again, thanks to everybody who has helped in Kaos’ rescue - and thanks from her too!