New bike!

I finally got a road bike, January is a good time to buy a bike, but it is also a bad time. Now I want to ride. They are callling for 50 MPH winds and a blizzard. I guess I am still a fair weather rider, I am ~so~ not going to ride out there today.

My bike is a 2006 Orbea, new in the box with Shimano 105 shifters, deraillers, and wheels. Zues brakes. It is silver and charcoal. I can't wait to go ride it.

Remember Peanut?

That little tiny kitten my mom found near death back in 2006 (pictures posted in November 2006). This is him today. Such a stinker too. He is perpetual motion and always ready to play! I thought this dopey picture had to be published. Peanut currently resides with my parents. He is one happy, fat cat.

The Zoo

My pets, aka "the zoo", are a rowdy bunch. It is hard to begin to introduce them all, that is why it has taken me so long to even try. Here goes...

Triskit (Nicknames include: Biskit, Siskit, Sissy, Bisky, Queen Bitch, and many other variations) Registered name Triskit Tai Winkie. (Sire was Tai Pan Hot Shot, Dam was Winkie Sue) She is a 15 year old grey and white Shih Tzu with a larger that life chip on her shoulder that not one of the other pets in my house will even look at, let alone knock off. This little 10 pound dog rules the non human lives in my house, the other pets will walk a six foot in diameter circle around her to avoid getting snapped at. She is very vocal, screams went you try to groom her, barks incessantly until you feed her, yet she can be the sweetest little princess when she wants to be. In her day she could and did run with the big dogs... she used to play tug of war with our Saint Bernard who has since passed. She would take the kids for walks, and sleep on my pillow . She doesn't see the best now, and only hears sometimes. Not sure if she has selective hearing or really has trouble. She has a way of being naughty and nice in the same wag of her tail.

Next in line is Bonsai. (Nickname: Sai) He is my 15 year old black and white domestic short hair cat. He follows me everywhere, when I sit he is right there to sit in my lap. He purrs constantly even though he is struggling with kidney failure. He sleep next to me with a paw on me to make sure he knows if I get up. If I run my fingers under the edge of the sheet or wiggle my toes under the covers the game is on! Triskit recognizes Bonsai's #2 position in the pecking order and generally leaves him alone, none of the other animals mess with him at all. He used to always, and still on occasion hold complete conversations with me. Answering everything I say with meows that fit right in with the topic.

Then there is LaMia (Nicknames include: Mia, Miles, Jami) Registered name Lamia Minnie Tally Wag. (Sire was Bozo Tally Wag, Dam was Minnie Woof) I had difficulty finding a name I thought suited her, I found myself searching a dictionary for something appropriate. I saw the definition before the name. It said "in Greek mythology; a female monster". The word Lamia. This is a dog that did and still does steal your shoe or a sock or drag around a 2 foot rope bone, she drops her nose in the snow and plows through the yard. She completely blocks out anything you say to her unless it sounds fun or it ends in the word treat. She will beat on you and dig at you with her paw until you pick her up and hold her but if you insist she come to you she will drop and roll over on her back for you to come rub her belly instead. She does run with the big dogs and she gets them on their backs and climbs all over them play biting and growling, if she wants to play and nobody will attend to her she has a half shrill, half howling bark she turns on to make her wishes known.

Then there is Puffit. (Nicknames: Puff, Roo, Rooski, Piffit. Poof) Registered Name Lil Mystical Puffit, instead of Lil Miss Muffit. I did not name her with a part of each parent's name cause I just couldn't make anything from them. The Sire was Ka Ce's Leonardo, and the Dam was Moshannon Shelly Fan Jo Pep. Puffit is a 10 pound buff Pomeranian that is 4 years old. She has a genetic problem with loose back knees (Lax Patella) which causes her knees to bend either way sometimes and she limps a lot. It is not evident whether she has any pain from her ailment. She runs and beats on LaMia when she can. She is our house thief, if you don't watch her she will steal bones from the big dogs and even Triskit. She is a closet eater, she waits until we go to sleep to eat. She is definitely over weight.. or big boned as the kids like to say. Her tongue is bigger then her mouth and if you don't watch it she will lick you to death. One of her favorite tricks is trying to stick her tongue up your nose. I groom her many ways, she gets such a long coat she seems more comfortable when she is shaved. She often has a mohawk, or a heart shaved into her coat somewhere... or something fun to let her express herself. Whatever it is she struts around like she owns this town. Occasionally she will forget Triskit is the matriarch and she will try to step in, she is always put in her place.

Marty. She likes to call herself "Good Girl or Marty Girl, pretty girl". Not sure her exact age... Guessing she is 8 or so. She is our Blue and Gold Macaw. She has a limited vocabulary. She says "Hi", and "good girl", and "hahaha". When she thinks she is in trouble she yells "stop". She has said "sonofabitch"<~~ came with that one, don't really say that. She will chant " here kittykittykitty, here kittykitty, Where's that cat?" A dog is called Boomer in her mind because the previous owners had a dog named Boomer. So when she wants a dog to come to her she will say "come here Boomer". She dances and sings and licks the dogs when they lick her. She does not like blondes and she has bitten people with blonde hair. She will get on the floor and waddle around behind me and follow me around along with Bonsai. She will sit at the table and eat with us when she can. When I get junk mail I hold it out to her and say it's a bill and she shreds it for me. She will let me cradle her in my arm sometimes. If she gets startled she'll say "What up" or "what that?" She sits on the back of the seat in the car and laughs at people going by. Sometimes she yells hi or what up at them. She fits right in with the zoo.

Buddy and Duke I will do together because they are two peas in a pod. They are Boxers. Both fawn and white. Buddy has a white box on his nose and a crooked white bow tie mark on his scruff. Duke has a black face. Buddy is 3 1/2 Duke is 4. They look a lot like a double mint commercial most of the time. They will simultaneously shake their bodies or run side by side. They are incredibly nosey and have to see everything. They and Puff and sometimes LaMia have a really bad habit of barking profusely when anyone arrives here. They tiptoe around Triskit, they shower Marty with licks all over. They roll over and let Puff and Mia beat on them and they love it. They play tug of war with the little dogs and let them win. Buddy watches the only other animals we have in the house, fish, for hours. You can tell him to go fish and he will sit there and watch the tank for quite a while. Duke will stand at the edge of the bed and whine to get up there. When they need to be kenneled, I just say "Kennel" and they go right in and lay down. They both think they are human to the extent they have their own love seat. They love camping and disk golf and anything that has to do with running and playing. Unfortunately Buddy has something wrong with his knee. The Vet is still trying to figure out, as you can imagine it is difficult to try to get him on bed rest to allow it to heal. When the Vet did the x-rays he didn't have to tranquilize him though, which is generally standard procedure. He laid still and let the Vet do what was necessary. Great dog!

This is my zoo!

Dad

Today is the 28th anniversary of my Dad's death. He died when I was 10, he was 37, of colon cancer. Now colon cancer is very preventable if caught soon enough. Even when he was suffering from it, had he gone to a doctor when he started having problems they had a good chance of helping him. Every year at this time, and many other times, I wonder how my life would be different if my dad was still living. I miss him always.
RIP Dad. I love you.

Ramblings

I like an article or a verse or a flip comment from a strange little old lady in the grocery store that not only makes me stop and ponder at that moment but reiterates itself in my mind at random times when I think I am concentrating on other very different things.

Happy New Year!

Now that the "feed" day is behind me I can focus on better habits. Starting that off tonight with a 30 minute ride on the trainer! I get to look forward to that getting easier because right now it is anything but easy. I had to do something today after I ate lunch at mom's! She is too good of a cook. I am sure even though my arms are tired from boxing on the Wii I did not come close to burning all those delicious calories off!

I started reading Alan Alda's book today "Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself". So far I am really enjoying his unique humor. I will let you know if I recommend it when I am done. Climbing mountains at 70+ years old is definitely something he can be proud of! Hopefully I will be strong enough at that age to do incredible things like that.

I had a conversation tonight that dabbled in religion, astrology, astronomy and many other interesting topics with a great friend. Those conversations are great mind stretchers. My PT Ellen and I discussed how she is going to make sure I sufficiently torture myself this year. What a great day!

2008 resolutions!

2008~ The year of the Rat in Chinese/ Japanese zodiac. This year I am going to focus on self improvement. Not solely physical improvements I intend to make, though I do have a lot of those, my primary objectives this year are specific. Thanks to a great friend of mine, I have the opportunity to learn the Danish language. I am going to learn everything I can about that language and Danish history. It is part of my heritage and I am really interested in it. I am going to train for and complete Ragbrai 2008. I did 3 and a half days of 2007... this year I am doing it all. I did not train like I should have last time, I will not let that happen again. I am saving the tips I get from work to invest in a better bicycle, I intend to put my whole heart into it this year and have fun. My biggest goal for 2008 is a fairly typical resolution for many people to make, I have made it before. This year I am going to focus all my energy into it and live it, not just say it and wonder why it didn't happen... I am going to stop procrastinating. Many things I have put off until now, I am going to do. No more excuses. The year of the Rat will be a great year.

Kids!

My kids are great! I have four wonderful children. The middle school may not think so today, after suspending my youngest daughter for slugging a kid after he told her she looked like a boy. Well, I am sure worse things have happened. My oldest daughter came in from school today, put her back pack on the floor complaining how heavy it was. I looked at her with my sarcastic "duh" expression. She laughed and proceeded to tell me that all four of them had been playing tricks on each other with an item we have in our house. The oldest boy hid it under the covers of the youngest boys' bed. The youngest boy hid it in the oldest girls' dresser drawer. This has been going on for some time. Then, laughing hysterically, she admitted the oldest boy placed the item in her back pack last night. She unzipped her bag, and pulled out~ our fire extinguisher. I asked what would happen if there was a fire. Three of my four kids that were standing there said at the same time, "We'd know right where to look." So funny!

New Year Resolutions

So many things to accomplish, so little time. Here is my list... (1) Spend time doing enjoyable things with the ones I love. (2) Become financially independent. Follow my career dreams. (3) Get in better physical shape. (4) Continue being nicotine free. (5) Train for and complete Ragbrai. Just a few off the top of my head. There are many more all involving self improvement and quality of life, these right now are my focus. I have also decided to do things I want to, but in the past worried about what people would think. Things that hurt nobody, except myself for a minute, like getting my lip/navel pierced. If people don't like it then they shouldn't have it done. I won't judge them. Happy 2007!

Festivities

With all the holiday festivities, I have neglected to post. Christmas was good. My kids seem very happy with gifts they received, and gave. I went on a seamstress mode again this year. I made a quilt, pillows, scarves for gifts. I did some fun photos on fabric and tried my hand at applique. I made a couple fleece blankets for birthday gifts too. I also made some homemade Christmas cards with buttons, pipe cleaners, and anything else I could find. Just searching for a diversion from the standard boxed cards and purchased gifts. My only wish would be to see those I wasn't able to, during the holiday. Now I can settle in and prepare for exercising and training for Ragbrai this coming July. Hope you all had a great holiday, and looking forward to a bright new year.

Crash

My oldest son got in a car accident this week, thank God nobody was seriously injured. He hit a van, totaled his car, and did significant damage to the van. The driver of the van ran a stop sign, his insurance company accepted all liability. I can't help but think of what could have happened, one of those mortality checks you get in life. Thankfully all three people involved are safe. I am so grateful!

New Jersey, New York...

I was so fortunate this year, got 2 vacations! In October I flew out to the east coast to visit my great friend Rob. We hung out in New Jersey for a couple days. We went out to eat, went to the mall, just spent quality time together. Such distance between friends, never enough opportunity to sit and visit face to face. It was really nice! I love the east coast, it has so much history. I love to hang out in the cemeteries, some of the graves are from so far back, it seems unreal. That is probably not most people's favorite thing to do... but its one of mine. We went to New York while I was out there. Upstate New York in October with all the fall colors throughout the Adirondack Mountains is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Some of our stops along the way were several rest areas and Woodstock Harley Davidson. We stopped in Saratoga Springs, NY. The town famous for it's Revolutionary War battlegrounds, as well as the best tasting spring water! So full of historical points of interest, monuments, museums, horses! Rob was stationed there when he was in the military, so I got to see a bit of where his past was spent! That was so great, every second. We spent a good portion of one day touring the battlefield. I really had an awesome time. The Saratoga Monument in Schuylerville, NY was an amazing structure, climbing to the top of that was really neat, and right there is a very old cemetery, how great is that?! I wish we had a week to spend in Saratoga Springs, there were so many things to see. It is pretty touristy there, but I can definitely see why. The next day we headed to Lake George, NY. Also a lot of tourism, but so beautiful and interesting. The lake is huge! Nestled in the Adirondacks. Fort William Henry is located right on the end of the Lake. We walked around part of the lake, and checked out all the historical sights we could find, and we hung out in the Arcades for a while. So many fun things to see and do! I could go on and on about it, but you really should just go there and see it all for yourself! Thank you Rob for such a great time! I will remember all of those things forever! Before I went there I thought of New York as crowded over populated, big city, dangerous... all that. New York is a really big state, there is so much more than just New York City. This trip offered me a pleasant surprise, a side of New York I never knew existed. Thank you again and again Rob, for sharing one place that means so much to you, with me. For all the beautiful places etched in my mind. For all that you did to make sure my visit there was so enriching. And for letting me meet and play with your kitten Goober! Such a fantastic cat! For everything, thank you!

Pike's Peak

This past September my family took a trip to Colorado Springs to visit my best friend from high school and her husband. After we spent a few days exploring all the great natural wonders there; the Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, Cliff Dwellings, all the beautiful scenery, we decided to head to Denver and spent the day at the Denver Zoo. We had a great time reminiscing and getting reacquainted with each other. I wouldn't consider myself an extremely active person, I usually walk 3 to 5 miles per day or more. On the way back from Denver I decide I was climbing Pike's Peak the next day. I thought, after all. How hard can a 12 mile hike be. HA! I think everyone thought I was crazy, but they knew I meant it. The next morning my friend and I got up way before dawn. It was pretty chilly. We had prepared CamelBaks and high carb snacks. We had sweatshirts and gloves and everything we needed. My friend had trained for an Accent on Pike's Peak, so she knew everything we needed. It was right before dawn when we started up the mountain. It was so beautiful to look back and watch the sun rise over Manitou Springs/ Colorado Springs. Being a flat lander from Iowa, I quickly realized I hadn't really adjusted to 7000+ ft. (I reside at about 800 ft.) I had to make frequent stops to catch my breath. The time it took me to get to Barr Camp, basically the half way point, many locals could have been to the top. I probably would have been smart and turned around at that point, but I am way too stubborn for that, so upward we climbed. It seemed like days had passed by the time we made it to tree line, approximately 3/4th up the mountain. Just past tree line is when my friend realized I have a fear of heights. Up to that point I felt some what secure, in all the trees. When it was just rocks and thin air my fears rose significantly. My friend was wondering how she was ever going to get me off that mountain. At 11,000+ ft. breathing became difficult, compounded by self inflicted fears, the last 3 miles were excruciatingly slow and difficult. The last mile of Pike's Peak is pretty trying for many locals there, the last part just before the summit is nicknamed the "16 Golden Stairs". Don't let them fool you! It is not 16 steps and you are at the summit. It is a grueling series of steep switchbacks that seemed to make the previous climb seem trivial, and it is really damn cold up there. At times on that climb I thought I wouldn't survive and it probably took me double the time it would take people more accustomed to the altitude and extreme physical exertion, but I made it! I CRAWLED onto the 14,110 ft summit, eventually, I crawled to the truck and into the back seat, and buried my head in a pillow until we were back down the mountain. I started feeling better then, and proud, and all that other giddy stuff. I am no mountain climber, for sure. But I would do it again. It was beautiful! An experience I will never forget. We went to the Pike's Peak Harley Davidson shop. I bought a hooded sweatshirt. So now I can say, "been there, done that, got the swe...". Aww nevermind *grin* Thank you Ellen for helping me have such a beautiful experience.

New house!

Grats on your new house Trazidar! What a great home. So spacious and full of trophies from victorious encounters with all those evil monsters. After the time we had with her, too bad Azar didn't drop remains! /Hug

Birthmark

My oldest daughter got her birthmark removed today. It was on her left side, just under her ribcage. It was embarrassing for her. Dark brown, raised skin, rough, calloused area. About 2-3 inches long and 1 inch wide. But it's gone now! I took her to the appointment and they let me watch the procedure. I even got to help assist a little. That was fun for me and really interesting. Most people would probably think it was gross. She is doing great now, that is what matters most! My kids all have the week off school for Thanksgiving, so she has the rest of break to heal.

Peanut

=) I think people in the animal field are magnets for wayward animals. My mom called me about a month ago, the first thing she said when I answered the phone was; "I think we have an emergency!" There was a little kitten laying on it's side, under a bush, in a pile of cold wet leaves. No mommy cat in sight. She waited a while to see if the mom cat came back for the kitten, but she did not. It was really cold out, around 40F degrees. I told my mom the kitten would not make it on it's own. So my mom went out with a towel, got the kitten, and not sure what else to do, brought it to me. The kitten was in big trouble. He was ice cold to the touch, mewing loudly but could not lift his head. He was covered in fleas and had a gash on his face and back of his head, there was saliva all over his body, another animal must have been using him as a toy, or worse. I filled my trusty warm water bottles, and warmed some kitten formula. I made it clear to my mom that I did not have high hopes the poor thing could live. His body temperature came up and he got hungry. I fed him formula several times that night, all he could stand. The next day I took him to the Vet. He tested Negative for Feline Lukemia! I got some eye ointment for his mattered eyes, and medicines for his wounds. The Vet guessed his age at 4 weeks. That night he started eating canned food mixed with formula. From that point on, he has been unstoppable. He is a little terror! He will open his mouth wide and run at your hand to "get" you. His kitten "motor" is so loud, and he is so angelic when he is sleeping on your chest, or where ever he falls down at any given time. He is simply beautiful. My mom took him home with her about a week ago. He is so happy and so lucky she found him. Such a fantastic little guy!

Weezel

This past summer my oldest daughter found a pinkie squirrel in my back yard. She guarded it from my dogs and called for me to come see. It appeared he had fallen over 50 feet from a nest in a tree above him. he had a big dark knot on his head. I was sure he wasn't going to make it, but couldn't let him die. So we took him in, warmed him up with water bottles filled with very warm water, and got some puppy milk replacement from my work and a needle less syringe to feed him. I know a woman in wildlife rehabilitation, so I tried to contact her to see what else I could do, I left a message on her answering machine. The next morning, to my amazement, the little guy was still alive! I took him to work with me, so I could keep him on a feeding schedule. The rehabber I called the night before had contacted someone that specializes in squirrels. This person then contacted me. At first I was not happy she wanted to take him. Then I realized someone with much more experience could give him a better chance to survive. She came to my work and picked him up. She asked what I was calling him. I laughed and told her at first we weren't sure what he was, so we called him Weezel. The name stuck. This wonderful woman took such good care of him. Squirrels don't open their eyes until they have all their fur, and are pretty mature. That is why we never see baby squirrels running around. This lady sent me pictures many times via the Internet, and we sent long emails back and forth about Weezel and many other things. She is such a nice person. Then a sad email came. She informed me Weezel was blind. Under normal circumstances she would be required to have him euthanized. Her job is to prepare wildlife to be released, and a blind squirrel could never survive on his own. I was devastated! But this wonderful woman was more upset. She had him with her every day for weeks, nurturing him. She contacted her mentors and explained to them how she couldn't have him destroyed. They worked together to obtain a license for Weezel's Mom to keep him, and she worked with an educational facility that has a program to allow Weezel to participate in an educational program with them. I am ecstatic! Weezel lives in a safe outdoor enclosure, He collects his nuts in his nesting box. He is playful and does almost everything a normal squirrel does except for the obvious. He can't jump from branch to branch in trees or balance on power lines. he has some sight in one eye, but he could never survive on his own. Lucky for him, his new Mom sought him out, and fought for his life. I guess there are some heroes left in this world! Thank you Carol! Also, thank you to all the wildlife rehabbers out there that spend their time waking up all hours in the night to feed their "babies", that spend countless dollars on formulas, feed, crates, bedding, laundry, exterior enclosures, Veterinary bills, on and on, and in the end selflessly say goodbye to their wild friends. Never earning a penny for any of it. It is my honor to know you exist!

Goodbye Dr. Waste

I learned tonight my dentist died yesterday. She was in a car accident, she crossed the center line and hit a Semi head on. The doctor's 11 yr old daughter was with her, she was treated and released. My thoughts and prayers go out to her husband, 3 children, other family members, and co-workers. The place she worked is a very warm, friendly, close knit family, I've always felt very welcome there. My last appointment with her was this past Monday. I don't presume to know Dr. Waste in any other manner than professional. I really never held a complete conversation with her. She was always working very hard and I always had fingers in my mouth, but from my perspective, she was a very wonderful woman. Horrible things like this make me wonder why good, honest, hard working people could possibly die so young and have so much intelligence and integrity left to share, all lost. When some really stupid, leacherous, greedy, monsters that offer nothing to anyone, and exist just to hurt and annoy good people, get to continue on. My mind just cant wrap around the concept of how this type of thing could possibly be "meant to be" or that there is a reason for such a horrible turn. My only act of respect I can offer to her, in her memory, and to sate my ire in one's words that spoke to me regarding this doctor's death. If your first contact with her was on a professional level, if you weren't her daughter, mother, cousin, or friend...her name was Doctor to you! She worked very hard to earn her title, use it with the respect she deserves. I will miss you Dr. Waste.

Some people emit beauty

Other than my family, my animals, my best friend, and a few other people in this world, I see a lot of ugliness. Mean people doing nasty things to fulfill some kind of self worth issue they have. My general philosophy is "I hate people". Today I saw some people I like! I groom animals for a living. It's not a very clean or risk free work environment, but even on the worst days I can walk away knowing what I did helped an animal, that is usually a rewarding feeling. Many days I wish I could just do my work and not have to deal with people. Today I saw some truly wonderful people. I groomed a dog named Cocoa. She is a sweet little Yorkshire Terrier. Her "Mom" brought her to me in a plastic carrier. She was really afraid, so I was comforting her, leaning into her "safe place". I noticed a picture taped to the inside wall of her crate. It was a picture of Cocoa and a little girl. How awesome is that?! That little girl wanted Cocoa to know she was there with her! SO Beautiful! After work I went to the mall. I had to get one of my favorite things, a soft pretzel with cheddar cheese, yum! As I sat in the eating area, I was watching people. (big time Voyeur, I am) There was a elderly man sitting alone, uncomfortable. His walker sat behind him with his coat draped over the center bar. He seemed to be looking at nothing in particular and waiting for whatever. A man approached him, introduced himself, and started a conversation about his wife shopping as usual... could he join him. I loved his olive green parka with the fake fur around the edge of the hood, and the bright orange liner, and I loved the big smile on the older man's face as he accepted the "parka man's" company. What a beautiful thing to do! As I turned my attention elsewhere, there were two elderly ladies walking hand in hand toward the out door, they stopped as one helped the other place her sheer scarf over her head to protect her from the wind and cold outside. Any bad that may have happened today was swallowed up in the joy these people gave me without ever saying a word to me. Top that with time spent with my best friend and family, today was a fabulous day!