I've Moved!

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Home Stretch...

Well... it's almost here. Patriots Training Camp is literally 24 hours away and I can finally say that I'm truly excited about its arrival (already). I'm starting to get that "wooohooo" feeling that only camp brings!

I'm bouncing off the walls right now because I've still got tons to do in terms of technical stuff to be ready though. Why I'm in this situation right up to the last minute is typical.... Time just flew this summer and things take time. I swore I wouldn't let myself get behind the 8 Ball but life just happens some times. Plus, I'm usually great in the clutch and actually got more done this week getting new sites up to snuff than in weeks past.

Unfortunately, I'm waiting for the internets to cooperate and didn't allow for "glitch time". Today is THE last opportunity to get things done and I'm sooo there, just hoping that things beyond my control don't crop up and shoot me down.

Time for more coffee... and perhaps some blasting Black Lab to help me through.

Technorati Tags: patriots training+camp mrsb patriotworld

Weekend Update

Seems like it's been forever since my last post and yes, I've had quite a busy time of it since. I spent Thursday and Friday at the PECS training which cut my time at home short. I did get my hands on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as soon as it was released! My initial plan was to hit up BJ's when it opened on Saturday morning but someone mentioned going to Stop and Shop at midnight (rather than Borders) to avoid the crowd. Lo and behold, I was in line at 11:54 and was HOME by 12:15! Rather than jump right in though, I chose to re-read the last 5 chapters of book 6 to get up to snuff. As of right now I'm up to chapter 12 (and I know that friends are dying to discuss it with me but I've been swamped and haven't had much time to read... I'm trying!)

On Saturday, Kelsea and I took the train to Boston to deliver a sewing machine to a friend who needed to borrow it. There were plenty of HP7's to be seen that day for sure. We met up with Kroosh and Whitney, had lunch and spent a couple of hours talking New Media and enjoying each others' company. Saturday night was all about Bella and trying to squeeze in some reading.



On Sunday, Al and I went with MJ and Louie on the Bay Queen for a brunch cruise to Newport. None of us had ever been on it before and had a great time. The weather couldn't have been more perfect that's for sure. I was so hot walking around the shops that I decided to look for a pair of shorts.. I found a pair of striped Bermudas in my size but a look at the price tag of $168 and I decided that sweating in long pants wasn't that bad after all!

Al's anxiously awaiting the return of his boat from the repair shop (took in for an initial tune up, etc.) and wants to give it a whirl (or two) before carting it up to New Hampshire in August. My life has been all about Bella, trying to get technical stuff done on the websites and blogs in anticipation of Training Camp starting this Friday, and doing physical therapy for my back. (Of course, the usual MommyCab and Cinderella duties never cease and are just part of everyday life.)

Unfortunately, Bella is going to need surgery to repair her Cherry Eye and her consult is next week. I'm worried about the timing of surgery because of our vacation but I'll have to cross that bridge when we get there. She's doing well except for her backslide with the housebreaking. She goes every time we head out (multiple times) but still pees on the floor whenever she wants. She was doing pretty well with going out on a schedule, every time she woke up and after eating and play but I guess I loosened the reins too soon on the amount of area in the house that she's got access to that now she's peeing all over my parlor. Ironically, even if she goes out and pees outside, she'll still do the "big one" in the house within a few minutes. Time for me to go back to square one and not give her opportunity to make that mistake. But for now... pure bliss....

Technorati Tags: Bella puppy "Bay Queen" boat "Harry Potter"

Please... NO Harry Potter Spoilers!

The challenge is on.. the challenge of NOT stumbling upon any Harry Potter spoilers posted online before I get a chance to read the final book in J K Rowlings series. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would WANT to know what happens in the end. I know that there are tons of spoilers out there and I just don't want to be duped by some bully who just wants to rain on my parade. Maybe you have to be a Harry Potter fan to understand or maybe you just have to be a "reader".

Long before I was a Pats fan, or there was even such a thing as "New Media" to be hooked on I was book lover. I've been an avid reader ever since I started to read. I could never wait for the Book Fair at school and still look fondly at some of the books that I purchased way back in the 70's as they are now on my school bookshelf with Karen T. scrolled in them in oversized manuscript.

As I progressed from simple picture books to chapter books, I was often told by my mother to "Go outside and play" because I'd read for hours and hours getting caught up in the entire Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, or Happy Hollisters mystery series. Of course, you can't forget my all time favorite Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. (I've been a sucker for series and sequels ever since and take ownership of them; it's like visiting an old friend every time you meet a familiar character or recognize a familiar place.)

As a teen, I read all of the best sellers and was never without a paperback in my hand or pocketbook. I perfected the art of Walk and Read... making my trek back and forth to school and in the halls reading as I went along. My reading passion continued right through to adulthood although other obligations (family, work, house) and past times (Patriots, music, new media) have cut into my reading time considerably.

Even now, once I find authors I like, I read everything by them and keep an eye out for each new release and grab it as it comes out. Of course, I've read the entire catalogs of James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, John Grisham, Jane Green, Sophie Kinsella, the Oprah Book Club books, most best sellers, and tons and tons of "chick lit" in addition to so much more. I've also read a lot of Young Adult fiction, covering the Newbery Medal Award Winners and naturally... Harry Potter!

I jumped on board right from the get-go and have picked up each new book on its release date. Nothing beats the day that I stopped at BJ's all dressed up on my way to my nephew's wedding to scoff up book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

So.... I'm being extra cautious this week with my online time and really being cognizant of links that I click so that I won't stumble upon something that will disclose what will happen. The whole point of reading is to make a connection and take that ride with the characters. I want to feel and experience the events as they are happening. Nothing beats a heart-pounding , page turning story (besides a heart-wrenching, tears streaming one) for me and I definitely don't want to know where I'm going before I get there. That will be a total rip-off!

I've got a PECS training for the next two days and I won't be online much so I'll be relatively safe as long as I don't get tricked into clicking something not clearly marked. Once I get my hands on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I'll be holed up with nose to the page devouring it and savoring it until the very last page has been turned. Then I can shed a tear because it's over and talk about it freely.

Harry+Potter reading spoilers

Health Updates

Just a quick update on the two patients. I took Bella back to the vet yesterday for an eye check and they said that they just want to continue with the ointment for awhile and not think about surgery yet. The cherry eye is still protruding and has been since Saturday afternoon. I’m hoping and praying that it goes down and trying to remain optimistic although most of what I’ve read online is not promising. The doctor did tell me that although it looks painful, she’s not in any pain which did make me feel some relief. So, we’re continuing on and hoping for the best.

I just got back from the doctor and my back is making progress. It’s not there yet and I still can’t run but it’s getting better. I’ve been taking Bella for little short (100 yard) walks to ease her into walking on a leash. She’s getting there and hopefully will be able to increase her distance each day.

I was actually able to get a podcast done this morning while she slept which was a big relief. Camp starts next Friday so time is flying by. I’m slowly working on my blog stuff and hope to get it done (please cooperate, Bella!) before next Friday.

Btw….even Bella is jumping into the Social Media scene…hehehe!

Puppy Update... eyes, leashes, and burning the midnight oil

Sigh... Bella's eye went back to normal the night we got home from the vet after an evening nap. (It seems that when she's asleep, the eye relaxes and the eyelid flips back over.... either that or that REM action helps it along.) Around 4:00 on Saturday, she was playing in her basket and rubbed her face against it popping it back out. Unfortunately, it's been over a day and a half and it's still protruding. Things are not looking good on that front and I'm very sad about the possibility of surgery.

Every day is a new one and each day presents new accomplishments and challenges. The little porker is now 3.3 pounds so she finally fits in a harness without being able to tuck her chin down to chew it. So, we've begun our venture into leash work. That itself presents a new set of behaviors to learn. Once she learns that the leash is NOT a tug-of-war toy, things will be better. She's resistant to go to the bathroom on the leash and instead flips her body around and tries to chew it. Nigel did the same thing at first and got over it. I'm trying to not let her out in the front without being on the leash so she'll learn that it's that or nothing. She loves to be outside but at night, it's especially dangerous to be loose. When she gets in that hyper mode, she runs around at super-speed and I can barely catch her. I'll continue to let her off leash in the side and back yards (fenced in) but front yard now is leash territory.

She's also starting to venture back into the parlor area again instead of staying near the kitchen table area which makes it tougher for me to get anything done on the computer because I have to constantly get up and bring her back where I can see her. The potential for peeing indoors is too great over there, not to mention the ability to slip under the couch. We don't want to go there again!

She's also been REALLY hyper in the evenings and is very mouthy and nippy. The other night I was outside with her at 1:30 in the morning because she'd bark every time I put her in her crate. She wanted to be up running around and playing. I couldn't even keep her on my lap for "quiet time" because she'd nip at me and try to wiggle out of my arms. I kept bringing her outside in case the barking was due to needing to go to the bathroom. She didn't.. instead she took the opportunity to bite the leash and try to get me to pull it. She was spinning around like a wild woman. I couldn't drop the leash and let her run off in the dark and I couldn't get her to calm down either. So, it was back to the crate, hoping for the best (that she didn't really have to go) and tuning out her barking until she fell asleep. Needless to say, a let a few choice words fly and I was not too pleased with this late night habit. Two nights in a row, she was out of control at night and didn't want to go to bed.

Then... there are times when she's so cuddly and kissy... my favorite Bella! It's always an adventure that's for sure. And, just so there's no mistaking it: I love that little girl sooo much!

Technorati Tags: Bella, puppy, Chihuhua, Puppy+Tales, Cherry+Eye, leash

Slow and Steady.... Roller Coaster Ride

I haven't had much time online lately because I've been busy with Bella but I did pick some themes for my blogs. I'm just waiting on some artwork from a friend and a whole redesign of this one when Nico can get to it. Time is running out before Training Camp starts so I really don't have much time to finish up the "geek stuff".

I had to cancel my Friday trip to Block Island for some fun in the sun and music because of the pain that I've been having for quite some time after running. ... It was so bad this week that I could barely walk. I was able to get an appointment with the doctor and he said that it was all due to my back being misaligned and my pelvis being completely locked up. He did an adjustment, gave me some PT exercises to do and told me not to run until after I was completely healed. I see him again next week.


Bella's been doing well but has me in tears the past couple of days. The other night, I put her in her crate when I went pick Jake up from a friend's house and when I got home, there was something wrong with her eye. She apparently had been rubbing it or scratched it with her paw and the 3rd eyelid was sticking out. Naturally, I Googled and to my horror, started reading about Cherry Eye. Hoping for the best and that I was just over-reacting, I snuggled with her most of that night but couldn't stop crying. She awoke back to normal so I was relieved.

Yesterday, (Friday) in the afternoon, she kept rubbing her eye with her paw and also rubbing her face in the grass. Sure enough, it popped out again. I called the vet and they took us right in. She looked at her and said that it was the start of cherry eye and that her eyes were irritated and had the start of an infection so that's probably why she was rubbing it. She prescribed an antibiotic/steroid ointment for me to put in twice a day. She said that it was the first step to clear the infection and hopefully strengthen the cartilage of the 3rd eyelid to prevent it from flipping over again. I administered the ointment.. (that was fun...NOT) and she napped on me for about 45 minutes. When she woke up, the eye was back to normal.

Today, it was fine until around 4:00 when she was rubbing it against the side of her little play bed and sure enough, it happened again. As of right now, 9:00, it's still protruding... sigh... I feel so bad and I'm praying that it not only pops back in but it also heals and strengthens so that it doesn't continue to happen and require surgery. Even the results of surgery are iffy according to the vet.

So, the rollercoaster ride is on taking me from happiness, to sadness, to relief and back again. As a good friend so wisely said the other day... "Welcome to parenthood."

Technorati Tags: Bella puppy Chihuahua Cherry+Eye

Making Progress

So, things are moving right along. I was able to successfully transfer everything to BlueHost and have cancelled my account with my old host. Setting up the add on domain worked out perfectly as well. Yesterday, i finally made a decision on the wordpress theme for the Patriots Podcast blog and am waiting for a banner from a friend before going live with it... Today, I hope to make a final decision and install the theme for the Training Camp report blog.

On the puppy front, Bella is doing very well. I'm still having to keep my eyes peeled EVERY waking moment but I successfully trained her to Come when called and to Sit. These are major milestones and will make both of our lives so much better! I'm using Science Diet Training Treats and she's so small that I literally break off a tiny piece at a time and one or two discs can last me all day.

She's been spending most of her time with the "pen" gate disabled and has been fine. The reason for this was a possibly tragic accident that turned out to have good results. From day one, I've been shooing her away from the couch because she likes to go underneath it. There are wires under there and more importantly, it opens to the stairway landing. I've spent most of the last two weeks policing her away from there.

The other night, she was very fired up and was running around at full speed, charged under the couch and to my horror, went through and fell off the other side. It was like slow motion... I was shrieking her name as she flipped through the air and landed with a thud. I was frantic and burst into tears, ran down to pick her up and held her close while she shook and whimpered. I was a wreck and was so worried that she had hurt herself. I checked her out thoroughly and held her all night while I read in case she showed any signs of distress. Thankfully, everything was fine.

The end result of the accident has been a "lesson learned". She has not even gone NEAR the couch and has pretty much stayed out of that part of the room since. She now stays around and under the kitchen table and right by my side. She'll also run up and down the hall but comes when called and sits right here waiting for a treat. Life is good :-)Technorati Bella puppy chihuahua training BlueHost Puppy+Tales

Website and Puppy Tales

Time already seems to be flying, having the 4th come and go. We had a last minute cook-out and although the weather wasn't hot, it was comfortable enough and the rain held off until the evening hours.

I made a decision this week and moved my website to Bluehost. (As of this posting, I'm waiting for the propegation of the nameservers so it's down.) I had to go through major gyrations to get my old host to release the domain name so that I could renew it at GoDaddy. It's finally done as of today. I've also been playing around and learning how to install some wordpress blogs on my domain but the education started from ground zero. Although I've had a website for 5 years, using Frontpage allows you to do it without really knowing anything! I've never had to deal with FTP and directories and such. Special thanks to patient friends who have been available to get me on my way... and also here's to perseverance and google when I needed to figure some things out for myself.

It's been really difficult getting much done because Bella is quite active and I need to be with her most of her waking hours. It's much like having an infant; I only get things done when she's napping. More puppy tale updates to follow, but in short, she specifically has a hyper/nippy time after dinner which lasts for a couple of hours... (sort of the equivalent of those after-dinner colicky babies.) She gets all riled up and wants to play rough. She also will run at super high speed after a ball with ears flapping in the wind...hehe..

I can't wait until she can start going for walks... I'd love to tire her out with a good brisk walk after dinner. Two problems there though: she's still too little for even the smallest harness to fit her without her being able to tuck her chin and bite the harness and even worse, she turns her head sharply and bites the leash and tries to play tug-of-war. I definitely don't encourage any of those kinds of games or aggressive play. Trying to disengage the leash results in growls and head shaking. So, I'm trying to bait her by offering something appropriate and desired and giving the "Drop it" command so she'll let go and take the treat along with praise for listening.... Every day is an adventure. Right now, I've had to dim all the lights and observe quiet time to move to mellow mode to get ready for bed.


She's been having more and more pee accidents in the house, even if she's just been out and has gone a few times. She totally loves to be outside and is set on investigating everything out there, happily squatting along the way. She's starting to do the same thing in the house..... sigh... even though I praise her like crazy when she goes outside and does the right thing. So, it's hard to take my eyes off her when she's awake to prevent all of those yellow rivers...

Technorati Tags: Bella housetraining BlueHost Puppy+Tales Chihuahua patriotworld

Puppy Tales, Pounces & Pownces

Ok.... just when I mentioned that Bella's pen was doing the trick in terms of helping her with potty training, she decided to start having accidents inside of the pen. She prefers to have free reign of the house (naturally) but will have problems peeing when she's out (even if I've just taken her outside.) She never has a problem in her crate or on furniture or laps so I don't think it's a matter of not being able to hold it. She especially will pee on any mat or rug surface. This may have to do with her early stint in paper training or it could just be that it's the "other" surface like grass is outside as opposed to the driveway. Even outside playing, she'll run around a bit and go quite a few times up and down the grass. Luckily, she'll cry or whine (no real barking yet) if she's got to go #2 and has been doing great with that.

This morning, my furry alarm went off like clockwork at 5:45 AM, as has been the norm. We usually head out for relief then she eats and then is ready for the day. I usually am too but was very tired today and by 6:15 was feeling like I still needed more sleep. She had been sitting on my lap while I drank coffee checked email and rubbed her belly. I headed to the couch and thankfully she slept in my arms for about an hour and I got a bit more rest.

As for the Pouncing: Last night when I took her out for her final bathroom run, one of the "killer cats" was lurking in the shrubs just waiting... by the time I noticed, it was crouched low and slinking towards my little one. I shrieked, scooped her up and high tailed it into the house with my heart pounding. I'm not sure exactly what would have happened but don't really care to know, especially since I've seen them in action with birds and mice left in my yard.

And speaking of Powncing: Pownce, YASN (Yet Another Social Network) has cropped up and is wooing some of the Twitter folks... I've got an account and the jury is still out but I'm still partial to Twitter. Right now, people are somewhat split and many are posting on both. For now, Twitter is my gal, as long as all of my social circle doesn't move... After all the point of a Social Network is to be social. It's no fun talking to oneself.

Technorati: Puppy Tales, puppy, Bella, housetraining, Pownce, Twitter

Puppy Tales

Since we haven't had a puppy in our lives in 14 or so years, this is all brand new once again. What better way to document and chronicle the ups and downs of puppyhood than right here? She'll grow fast and I'll likely not remember "those" times and before I know it she'll be an old lady.

Nigel was very much the puppy until at least six years old and was a very stubborn and high strung boy. He gave us a lot of love but also a run (literally) for our money. God forbid, someone left the gate open or the door ajar... off he would go! The only way to get him was to get in the car and pull up aside him. He'd happily jump in to go for a ride. But, if you tried to get him on foot, the game was on! The minute you got near him he'd juke and run enjoying his game. He grew into a loving and quite mellow old man and we miss him to this day.

Since Bella is a Chihuahua and is toy dog, some of the issues that we had with Nigel are not going to be present, such as stealing food from the counter, digging outside (she won't be out alone), and using her size to get her way. This is not to say that typical puppy behaviors are not going to be an issue:

• Her biggest puppy behavior right now is nipping. She doesn't do it in aggression, rather in play but it needs to be nipped (hehe) in the bud right from the start. When she nips from being over stimulated and all excited, I immediately yelp like she injured me, turn off the attention, put her down and praise her profusely when she plays gently. It's getting better already with me, but she still gets very excited with other family members. I'm the primary care giver so she doesn't associate me only with play. As long as everyone is on the same page we'll be ok.

• Another issue that I never had with Nigel is directly due to her small size. She fits under the couches and chairs and it's too dangerous there. Wires and an open back end to the stairway landing is accessible if she goes under the couch. I've resolved that by only allowing her out in the main area when I'm specifically playing with her.

• Potty training is going well although she still has accidents if she's loose. I've made a "pen" by gating off an L shaped area around the island containing all of her things and allowing her plenty of room but not free access to the house. It's working well, and she hasn't had a single accident there. (Of course, I take her outside the minute she wakes up, after she eats and periodically throughout the day.) She goes outside immediately and is doing very well with that.

• She still prefers to be with me and will spend some time on my lap for a belly rub :-) which is fine as long as she chews her bone and not my clothing, and it works out well and gives me some quiet time with her. After supper though, she's usually feisty and full of energy. She won't stay in the lap or in her pen without crying. She wants to play rough and nips quite a bit. I've taken to playing ball with her or letting her run around outside (weather permitting). If the kids try to play with her then, she's all wound up. Evenings are the most difficult time right now because she wants to play but she tends not to play appropriately. She does settle down later when I dim the lights and set the quiet mood to get ready for bed. She's been sleeping through the night and usually wakes up around 6:00AM which is fine with me.
  

I'll keep updating the Puppy Tales as we grow together.

Technorati Tags: Bella puppy Puppy Tales Chihuahua Nigel