Another Happy Dog Weekend

I’m relaxing after a weekend of dog time, housework, making jewelry and finishing a book or two. I’m happy. The weekend has concluded with a day of dog training. Although the training match I went to was overbooked and I never DID make it into the ring, the time spent ringside was not wasted. My black and white BC and I did the Novice and Open obedience exercises both ringside and out in the parking lot. With a new dog it is necessary to determine how the dog will acclimate to the entire show scene. Will other dogs in close quarters bother him? Will he lunge toward every person who walks by my chair? There were some attempts by him to be overly friendly but by the end of four hours he was still hyper and knew what his limits were. He is becoming such a good dog that I am encouraged to enter him in the September and November shows. It is a scary proposition. I love his energy but that is what is his downfall. He gets a wild hair and forgets where he is. On the other hand he is VERY sensitive so needs to be reprimanded sharply and then given something positive to do. Harping on him or nagging him accomplishes nothing but a hang-dog look. He shuts down or acts nervous, trying to appease me by doing obedience exercises randomly. We are kindred spirits and I understand his nature. He makes me laugh even when he is up to his elbows in trouble.
Afterwards, my young white and black BC and I went for a walk. He is becoming better and better about not pulling. I decided to put a loose fitting choke chain on him while walking. He can correct himself and I can tell him what a good boy he is.
The older dog, Brown BC, and I did some Utility training. It is funny how his memory improves when I bring out the liver cookies. He hates the Utility signal drop but when he knows a cookie is coming he suddenly can drop like a rock. All the exercises are coming along. There is a lot of work before the September shows though. I can at least enter him in the Open B classes. Now that he knows the Open work his confidence is better and he is a joy to show. Previously, he would get nervous in the ring and start sniffing and lagging. At a recent training match he was a bundle of energy and worked hard in the ring. Of course, it could be he’s picking up on MY positive energy?
With my weight loss I have gained energy, determination and a very strong desire to get back into the obedience ring and have fun. It’s time and I’m in the mood to train, train, train. The dogs love the attention. I am now more positive, self confident and have a stronger belief that things happen for a reason. This was a weekend to reflect, spend time with the dogs and look to the future. Next weekend’s agenda: a hike up Mt Hood from Government Camp with a friend, her Golden Retriever and one of my BC’s.
(Update: weight is now 139 pounds!)

How to Lose Weight in this Fat World-Part I:

Everyone who looks in the mirror in disgust reaches a point where his or her “weight number” is just too high. For some people the number may be 110 pounds and for others it can be 300 pounds or more. At 5’4” my number became 160 pounds. When people made fun of me, when I looked 4-5 months pregnant, none of my clothes fit anymore and size 14 was becoming tight it was time to make a change. Every where I looked there were magazine articles about losing weight, row upon row of books in the library on becoming healthy, thin and happy. Some of the books and articles were drastic and some required a fat bank account to buy organic foods, use expensive vitamins or purchase a special piece of exercise equipment. I was determined that there had to be an easy way to lose this ugly fat that was making my life so miserable. The answer is oh, so simple.
“Eat to survive, not for fun.” Stop and look at every thing you put into your mouth and say to yourself, “Will this nourish me or only satisfy me emotionally?” The answer is shocking. Do we eat only when we are hungry or because food is so readily available? Is it so bad to be a little bit hungry during the day?
In my search for the return of my 118-pound figure, I started with Kevin Trudeau’s books. His style of writing is hard to follow and repetitious but if you read all three of his books eventually you understand that what he is saying is true. The FDA is worthless, our food is tainted to make us eat more, there are natural cures for our ailments and diseases and it IS possible to lose weight in America. But to do so you have to be aware of what you are putting in your mouth EVERY day. To do so you have to stop going to fast food restaurants. I watched the movie, “Super Size Me”. It was disgusting to watch. I haven’t been to McDonalds since watching this film.
Do not eat anything with high fructose corn syrup. Do you realize this substance is even found in bread? Sugar is addictive, the more you eat, the more you WANT to eat. Look at serving sizes. I now eat a medium size breakfast, large lunch and small supper. Get plenty of sleep. Exercise every day and every opportunity. Walk places, follow Jorge Cruso’s book, “8 Minutes in the Morning”. Pick up exercise tapes from the library. Walk the dog for 4 miles in the evening. Say NO to sweets at work. Keep saying out loud, “No thanks. I like skinny.” People will dislike your will power. Don’t let them sabotage your goal. Drink herb tea if you are absolutely craving a candy bar. Amazingly by the time the tea is gone so has the urge to pig out.
It is becoming easier and easier to just say NO to fatty foods!

Single Dog Lover Seeks Same

If I were to write an online advertisement searching for my perfect mate how would it read? How could I describe myself in 1000 words or less? How do you cram a lifetime of experiences into one spellbinding paragraph?

When I read an ad for a man I look for something easy to read by someone who knows how to use spell check. If he describes his personality does he mention honesty, loyalty and respect? Most important what are his interests? Does he describe himself as a good communicator? Does he mention his good sense of humor without bragging about being the life of the party? Is he a renaissance man, interested in numerous things or does he only mention his Harley and his beer? Does his picture show he has had a hair cut within the last three months? Does he have any hair? Does he mention his dog? (25 points for that one!)

I would describe myself as honest, down to earth, not afraid to communicate, able to laugh at myself, looking for a respectful relationship, a man who would give me kisses and hugs and who would enjoy receiving the same from me. I’m a low maintenance (never had a Nordstrom credit card) blue jeans type of person; enjoy recreational hiking and bike riding (no “century” distances, please), horseback riding, making jewelry, and reading new books to discover more about the world around us. The most important item about me: I love and am loved by my wonderful Border Collies and expect my man to understand this relationship and not feel threatened by their energy and demands. I am also involved in the world of competitive dog obedience and tracking.

I’m an employed government employee, college educated, a magazine columnist, 5’4”, working towards a goal of 128 pounds, who enjoys eating healthy food. I love the state of Oregon, walking along Tolovana Beach and would like to spend more time exploring it and see the beauty around us. You introduce me to snow shoeing and panning for gold and I’ll introduce you to spelunking and a great place to find thunder eggs.