Category Archives: Doogles

dog dynamics

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The other day I was in the kitchen cooking and it occured to me that the dogs had been awfully quiet for some time now. As much as you might want the dogs to be quiet, a pair of quiet dogs is usually a pair of dogs that has teamed up and conspired against you.
I put down my rubber spatula and walked into the living room…

It seems like one of those quiet Rockwellesque moments, but there’s something far more sinister at work here.
Maddie isn’t really a chewer. She will sometimes chew a pig ear or some chicken jerky, but she’s really not all that interested in chewing. She can take hours and hours to chew a rawhide strip, the same strip that Chester or Ghengis would devour in 30 minutes or less. Maddie is not a chewer, but she can be mean.
That’s not her bone, it’s Chester’s bone. Chester DOES chew things but he does not chew rawhide bones. In some cryptic bit of wiring in his head, he cannot actually stop to chew those things he loves to chew the most, he must bury them. He will spend the better part of an afternoon ‘burying’ a bone behind the sofa or under some cushions or in a box of packing peanuts by the backdoor waiting to go down to the basement. After he has buried it, he will find a bone that he has previously buried and he will move that to a new location and bury it all over again. he will do this over and over and over, burying and moving and burying and moving. It’s not uncommon for me to stumble across in a bucket of rags or in with my yarn.
This bone that Maddie has in this photo was one of his favorites, he spent a lot of time and energy trying to keep that bone safe. Maddie found that bone and she took it to her bed, the one place where she is ‘safe’. She must have spent a good hour there intently gnawing on his bone, chewing it up and there was nothing he could do.
When I walked into the living room he just sighed dejectedly and watched her chew.
I only laughed. I laughed and laughed at them. I’m that kind of dog owner. Then I took photos and posted them on the internet.
She doesn’t chew. No, not unless it’s Chester’s bone and she is seeking revenge!

It’s the king!

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We did Christmas dinner at my sister’s and it was a lovely time. My sister puts on a lovely feast. Potato souffle’, green beans with herbs de provence and ham…HAM! the king of the pink meats!
April’s special guy cemented his status as “good enough for my sister” by putting away the Skyy and breaking out the Ketel One for me. He also kept mixing me vodka tonics all night long. I lost count at 5, it may have been as many as 7. I’m just not sure.
We ate, we talked, we caught up on happenings, we wiggled in and out of those uncomfortable family conversations and we generally had a good time. Didn’t get home until after midnight and it was only with considerable effort on my sister’s part to kick our asses out of there.
(note to April, if you want to get rid of us, don’t bust out the good stuff…a bottle of Stoli would have had my out of there by 8! no lie!)
I also had a major envy moment when my sister came up in a pair of flannel jammies with santa lobsters all over them. I want those!
My uncle Russell and Aunt Carol are in town with their girls, Emily and Rosalie and they will be heading over this afternoon to see the dogs, harass the lizards and visit. I’m really looking forward to this, but I really need to get this place cleaned up. I also need to get some leftover ham into me!
Also, David is playing his guitar and the speaker is next to my head and I get to play with the settings. Guitar on phaser…pretty sweet.

Happy happy delicious christmas

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Happy happy christmas to you all!
Last night we spent Christmas Eve at my dad’s. Since Anna was unable to make it home for the holidays we brought her along. We spent the evening eating, drinking, laughing and telling tales. Poor Anna, she thought I was just some sort of anomaly, a strange imp placed on this earth specificallyto torture her.
Once again, she learned that I came from a family, one that I get along well with. One that will work with me on my mission to corrupt and torture. Or, if not to work with me, at least not hinder me.
Last night I brought two dishes to dinner, my Chai Spiced Rice Pudding and a roasted winter vegetable dish. The pudding was a tad undercooked and I was sad about that but it tasted fine. The vegetables were a big hit
Sweet Roasted Winter Vegetable
1 large sweet potato, chopped
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 head cauliflower broken into large florets
1 apple, cored and chopped (it should have been 2 apples, but one was rotten in the middle)
1 head of radicchio, quartered, cored and seperated
1 cup baby carrots
1/2 rutabaga, peeled and chunked
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and separated but left whole
3 tbl butter
1 tbl olive oil
1 tbl rubbed sage
2 tbl curry powder
Oil the bottom of a large roasting pan, dump in veggies. Liberally salt and pepper vegetables.
In a small saute pan, melt butter into olive oil until foamy. Add sage and mix. Add curry powder and mix. Drizzle butter mixture over vegetables and mix to coat.
Roast at 300 for 2 hours, mixing at least once. The long low roasting allows the natural sugars in the vegetables to concetrate. The whole cloves of garlic practically turn caramelly.
Right now I have a pumpkin cheesecake in the oven. It got in there late and this means I will be late to my sister’s and i pray she forgives me!
And on a sad note, this is my Christmas without Ghengis. Last night, at my dad’s, we laughed and shared stories and I was only happy to remember him racing around my dad’s back yard harassing the cat, or sleeping under my feet as we picnicked in the gazebo. Today I am reminded that he only got two Christmases. Only two chances to rip open wrapping paper, to maul a new toy, to fall asleep on a newly eviscerated teddy bear or dinosaur.

Merry Christmas to all of you. Go now, find the ones you love and hold them tight.

one more wave to tumble through

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All was well, everything was fine. There I was, in the shower and another wave from the ocean of grief knocked me down.
I was blindsided.
This morning, all I wanted was Ghengis back for just one day. Just one day to play stinky dinosaur and go to the dog park, one day to feed him carrots and play tug-o-war.
One day to hold him, to smell him, to tickle his big fat paws again. To rub his belly and listen to him mudgeon around. To give him Frosty Paws and take his picture. I just want to see him sit up and pray one more time. I just want to take him on one more walk. One more evening of him passed out on my lap.
I want to watch him tumble around on the floor with David and Maddie again. I want to see them feel the joy of having Ghengis back for one more day. I want to see him tuck face into David’s belly as he gets pets.
One more night with him curled against my belly as I fall asleep with my face in his fur like we did so many times before. He’d be gone when I woke up. I’d have my day. I would like a weekend. I would love to have forever.
But I don’t want to be greedy.
Please, just one day?

here and now

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ooooh here!
What are you reduced to when you stay after work to update your blog?
My god, people, this is how much I care! I care!!
1) The amazing tech guys here at work managed to get my hard drive moving. Much of the data was corrupted, the files were a mess. Nothing was where I left it. I did find a folder of movies I had made of Ghengis. I am so so grateful for that. Of the 10gb’s of music I had, there were maybe 8 albums to be found. that was just weird. Does anyone know how iTunes deals with replacing music like that? I’ve purchased a few things through them, music and audiobooks and whatnot. I will have to figure that out. My laptop needs a new hard drive and a new fan. Considerably cheaper than a new computer! Hopefully I can get that taken care of before too long.
2) I went to Fleet Farm last night. How freaky is that? Fleet Farm is all about hunting and farming and sponge candy!!! Weird weird weird. On the other hand, they had canning jars for stupid cheap. $6.39 for a dozen 8 ounce jars. I got me 8 dozen jars. I’m turning into a crazy old lady, I can feel it. They also had a 23 quart pressure canner for $80 which is the cheapest I’ve ever seen them. If anyone is at a loss for what to get me for Christmas, I’m thinking either season 2 of Lost on DVD or the 23 quart pressure canner (the kind with the read out dial).
2a) Fleet Farm has everything in the world, but they have it for cheap. I stocked up on pig ears and chicken jerky for the dogs. I’m beginning to think I am the only person on the planet that is not freaked out by pig ears. Yeah, they’re greasy and still have hair on them, they come from pigs! They also smell bad. But the dogs love them. They don’t bother me one bit.
3) As I mentioned before I will be leaving for the weekend! Go me! I’ll be up at my mom’s canning like made, trying to get christmas presents done. If I know you and love you, you’re getting jars of something for christmas. If I know you and don’t necessarily like you, you’ll get a jar of something, but it might also have botulism in it!
3a) I want to start making my own pickles. The problem is that I think I would enjoy the process of making pickles but I just don’t think I would eat them and there’s just only so much you can pawn off on your friends before you start noticing unopened jars in their trash.
3b) I also want to start making bbq sauce. Maybe I can get farther with that.
okay my peeps, I’m off to pick up Anna. We’re going to have Tube of Burrito night and then we’re going to can the mustard! Go us.