Life. Off track, back on track, then completely derailed, and now heading off a cliff.

So....

I believe I was last here on the 4th or 5th? Where have I been since then? Get comfortable and buckle your seatbelt. This will have little to do with the dogs, who are supposed to be the stars of the show here, but since I try to be diligent about writing, I should address the moments when everything goes far too haywire to handle and I disappear.

First, let's go back to last week Tuesday. It started out as a great day. We had a few conversations about sending out invites to hold a small gathering at our house the coming Thursday or Friday. I knew Saturday wouldn't work, it was my sister's college graduation ceremony. I know Sunday wouldn't work, because it was Mother's Day, and of course, that requires that we travel all over to kiss our mothers and grandmother and etc. So Thursday was looking good if it worked for our intended guests.

So there I was, last week Tuesday, making plans. And there I went, Tuesday afternoon, to get my hair cut. This should have been uneventful. I went to a salon with my mother and we both left looking differently than we'd entered. She had a nice cut and a color. I had nearly a whole standard ruler length of hair removed and neatly tied into a ponytail for donation to a company that makes wigs for children with cancer.

There we sat next to one another in chairs, my mother's head getting covered in squares of foil. Her phone rang. She had some weird intuition, because she wouldn't let it go. I dug through her purse, and missed it by a second. It rang again. It was my sister, who'd had a car accident. She is fine. But her car is a bit damaged. She also had a miserable final exam, a wretched day, and was extremely upset.

The salon became a long drawn out endeavor. Everything took longer than expected. We didn't leave until just after their closing time. Exhausted. No plans were made when I got home. Everything just got pushed out until the following day.

Ater the head makeover and the announcement of my sister's car accident, the next morning, I got my act together and got back on track - still planning to host friends and have some fun. Then, the train of life was completely derailed again.

My grandmother was found to be now incapable of grocery shopping for herself. Since I am out of work, I will be the one to take her every week. Starting... Now! (This I am actually very happy about. I've not loved the idea of her driving lately....) But, of course, it wasn't planned for, initially, and added to the "to-do" list to juggle.

Then, my mother ended up in the hospital for a couple days.

My sister graduated MSU.

I started my masters thesis class - and found I have to be on the FAST TRACK to finish, or I have to re-take classes in order to get my masters degree. This is not an option, as we have no extra money to speak of.

We finished the gate. Then, we added the wheel on the bottom later on so it doesn't droop.

Life has been on fast forward, and I can hardly keep up.

Then we helped friends move their belongings from a storage unit in Canada to their home over here.

During all of this, Aaron's classes have been going on. Last night was his last Statistics test. He got an A in the course, but this because we've both been working our tails off.

Also during all of this, I've been trying to keep up the job search. Also during all of this, I've had several friends contact me for support upon losing their jobs. It's a sad, scary time.

Posting will be light for some time now. I have a matter of only WEEKS to finish my thesis, and I cannot miss the deadline. Aaron starts his next round of classes tomorrow night, and he's got two accelerated core classes for the summer. I believe there is a pretty darn good chance he may be done next spring, and get a fancy new piece of paper to hang on the wall. This is unconfirmed, but looking at how quickly he has we have been able to tackle it all, there's a good chance it will work out that way.

The dogs are doing great. The only news I have of late is that Mr. Jordy Jordinsky is learnng what CATS are. :-D And it's really cute. He's so curious. He has no idea what they really are. They aren't people, they aren't dogs, but they're alive, moving, and making noise. Not to mention, they move fast. He's having a ball with this. The family of foxes in the woods next door is doing amazing. The 7 babies are each already about 2/3 the size of their mother. They look much redder now. It appears they are learning to hunt for themselves. Aaron saw one of the youngsters recently with a black squirrel in his mouth.

So, the plan is.... I am going to get through the next several weeks however possible. Very little sleep. A ton of perseverance.

And then, we'll either have a BBQ in the backyard, or a picnic at the dog park. Or, maybe both! But for now, I have to keep my nose to the grindstone and get it all done.

P.S. By the way, I think it speaks to the way things have been going to noticed that I started this post on May 13th, and have come back to it at least five times with not enough time to actually finish any of it, and it's finally getting posted more than one week later. That is a perfect testament to how life is right now, and will remain for the next few weeks. Please be patient. I'm in a crunch! I'll return soon, and will probably be deep in celebration for the passing of this latest bout of stress and crap.

The Stick Game

Here's how it's played:
1. One dog finds a suitable stick.
2. The finder of the stick invites the other to play the game.
3. Tug-of-war ensues.
4. Eventually, someone wins. If Mackenzie wins, she doesn't get too far away before Jordy latches back on and the process repeats. If Jordy wins, there is s lengthy game of chase. Eventually, he will drop the stick or offer it back to her, and the process repeats. Either way, the process always repeats.... They never get tired of this game.

Jordy's Best Day

Early yesterday morning, around 7 a.m., while Mackenzie rested in the shady backyard, Jordy and I set off on a mile and a half jog to pick up my car from my parent's house. (I loaned it to them while their car was in the bump shop.) Since I loaned them my car, I also loaned them my keys.

Kenzie stayed home because she's not always good with tiny dogs, and my parents have two of them: a Jack Russell and a Shih Tzu.

We got to our destination to find that my car wasn't there. My dad headed to work, and took my car, so the paint could sit longer on his and dry/cure. This is not a problem. I just didn't know. I should have called beforehand, but I didn't want to wake anyone up.

There we were at my parents' house with no key to get back in even if we jogged back home. We were stuck.

This meant that Jordy got to explore a new backyard for hours, and play with two new playmates. He even got naughty and had half his body in my mother's pond... Thankfully, he didn't catch any of her koi. Hours later, I got my keys (and car) back, we headed home, and about four hours later we all went for a two mile walk with the neighbors and their dog. We all got home, and the humans decided it would be fun to walk some more and burn off the heavy dinner we had. (We and the neighbors went out for pizza.) Mackenzie had her fill with the two miles, and little Hailey's short legs can't make it much further than that. But Jordy? He's never tired, so he got to go on another three mile walk with just the humans. Spoiled! He found a stick, peed on many trees, and explored new territory where we hadn't walked before.

It was a busy day for the Jordinsky boy.

Mackenzie handles her long walks better and better every week. Tomorrow morning, she and I are running up to the vet to get her weighed and see her progress. We can see a big difference in her "waistline" already. (I wish my waistline progress would catch up!)

Lap Dog

Jordy has picked someone else to sit on this time.

Best Friends

Do your dogs hold hands?

Ours do! :o)

Miilestones...

We've reached many milestones, recently. All of them were celebrated. Good changes!

1. Jordy began pooping in his own yard. Believe it or not. And yes, when he did it, starting with the very first time, we cheered and praised him for it. That dog can learn anything. But, he does prefer to poop on his runs. Especially if he has someone to squat with him so he doesn't feel lonely...

2. Mackenzie not only came out of her terrible depression after losing her last mate, but she has come to life! She will often instigate playtime with Jordy, and now even with us. Here she is bringing a stick to Jordy to invite him for tug-of-war!


3. Although we can't be sure, because se didn't live with Jordy before he had a friend, we believe he really loves having a buddy too.

4. We are all much more physically fit, and getting more so every single day. Well, maybe not Jordy. He was in perfect shape when he started. The only thing not in better shape around here is my shoes.

5. The dogs have learned to SHARE. I wouldn't have thought it possible. But, it's true. They have moved beyond the constant game of "keep away" and trying to outrun each other to obtain a toy before the other one gets it. I have witnessed both of them nudge a toy toward the other in a clear invitation to play.

6. They have become a pair. In the first few days, although they got along immediatley, you would still often see one dog doing one thing and the other doing something else. Or, they'd be in different rooms. Now? You never, ever, see one without the other. Not even for a minute. Not even if they are sleeping. They even beg for dog biscuits from the neighbor together.

7. There is more joy in our home. Losing Hurley last October was a very difficult experience. And Aaron and I have always felt something was constantly missing. Jordy seems to have filled that void for us. Once again, we come home to TWO wet noses sniffing to see where we've been. When you open the front door, there are TWO floating heads sticking through. When a visitor comes, there are two guard dogs at post. We even have a difficulty time getting them to go on runs separately, since we're not all at the same pace. Mackenzie tries to speed up, and Jordy slows down, so they can stay together.

8. We can resume our normal activities. We're planning a camping trip, and can't wait! When Hurley got sick, he couldn't travel in the car anymore. Mackenzie had to give up all her fun while we took care of him, and after he left, she was too sad for any fun. Now, we can do the things we love again. Hiking, running, and possibly even a vacation up to Mackinac! (They have many dog-friendly hotels!) This is going to be a great summer!

Partners

Yesterday morning it was pouring outside. But we ran anyway. Mackenzie and I are new to this part of the sport.

But the boys ENJOY the rain!

Jordy's Fence - Chapter Two: Redneck Gates and Injuries

Finally, the long awaited photos of the fence in its current state. That current state being functional, but not finished. We really thought just one more weekend would do it. But of course, nothing ever works as smoothly as planned! We had unexpected rain delays, injuries, poles that somehow shifted in position, a level that was lying to us, and many other surprises. I didn't get as many pictures of this phase of the project simply because I was one of the folks holding each piece in place while others used the drill. These 8 foot sections are HEAVY. No hands left for snapping pictures...

As with every project, we had learning experiences.
Lesson One: Drill bits get HOT. See here the burn in the shape of a drill bit.
Lesson Two: Watch where you are walking. If you step in the home of a thorned bush, the bush will win.

Lesson Three? Both hurt worse if you are also SUNBURNED. Use sunscreen.

Okay. On to the fence. The short story? It's UP!

And there is happiness throughout the land.



However, as I mentioned, it's functional, but not finished. In a race to clean up the tools and wrap it up before the rain caused too much damage, we blocked off the sides of the house with fence pieces. I present: our redneck "gates!"

We've got one held up by the house and the grill.

And the other by the house, one screw through the top right corner, and a carefully wedged chair.

Someday, we'll laugh about this. Until then, we look forward to finishing the gates as soon as possible.

Persistence pays off. And howling.

Just got back. As I was typing the last post, Mr. Jordy resorted to howling. He would not take "no" for an answer.

This is a good thing.

As painful as our jog was, I honestly feel a little bit better than I did beforehand. Maybe getting the muscles moving helps a little.

Now Mackenzie and Jordy are in their special spots behind my chair. They'll stay here until I get done with my job searching for the morning, and then they'll move into the living room and nap until 3 or 4, when it's time to jump around again. And maybe even howl.

Dear Jordy,

I absolutely love that you are such a high energy creature, and have so much "puppy" left in you. We so often sit and just watch you run and romp. You are so loving. Mackenzie even loves the way you nuzzle your head into anyone you want to show love to. You are a perfect fit into our family.

Today you are learning something you are not familiar with. Humans (who are not in fantastic physical shape) get sore sometimes. Especially when putting up large pieces of fencing, and holding those heavy pieces for long periods of time while the holes are pre-drilled, and screws attached. Then, when that is finally almost done, or at least done enough that you furry things can use the yard freely, there are a few hours of serious yardwork to get done out front. Raking, mowing, weed pulling, trimming, you name it.

It hurts to move. It hurts a little even to breathe. I know you want to GO. GO OUTSIDE and RUN. And the backyard is not an appropriate substitute. You want to go to the PARK. NOW.

Every muscle in my body aches to high heaven. I have been burned by a hot drill bit, impaled by a tine of a rake, and a good area of surface skin on my left shin is missing from a tango with a rose bush. Please, Jordy. Be gentle with me for one day. I can't even move my head without muscles hurting in my back that I never knew I had!

I just need you to wait for the Advil to kick in. Please be patient with me! Ouch!

But I do love your persistence. Not only do you keep yourself healthy, but you care enough to make sure I put my running shoes on too. And you even are willing to keep my pace, even though it's much slower than Aaron's.

I already feel more energetic from being so much more active than I had been before you came. You are a gift.

Really, we wish we had your strength and energy. And soon, hopefully, we'll be a lot closer. And we can do huge projects, and still be out the door at 5:30 the next morning, ready to go. Just like you. :o)