Random thoughts

Random thoughts from the last two days:

• Phoenix does not CARE that he has 8 stitches in his side.

• Dogs obviously have a much different pain threshold than humans. Especially THIS human. In other words, I'm a weenie.

• I’m going to teach an “obedience for agility” class for my club in January. This is a topic I’ve never taught before (now that will inspire confidence in my students) and I’m excited about teaching something new. I’d better start working on lesson plans NOW.

• My Christmas shopping is nearly done and you could not pay me enough to go anywhere near a retail outlet next Friday. I’ll be home. Baking. And training my dog.

• It is the week before Thanksgiving and the Farmer does not have all the corn harvested. In the 18 years we’ve been married, harvest has never been this late. Plus it's rained off and on since Monday so he won't be back in the field for a few more days.

• This weekend I’m going to take Jamie and Phoenix’s Christmas card picture. Thank doG for digital cameras - 100 shots to get one good picture and then delete the other 99. Does this make photography easier than back in the dark ages of film? That’s how I learned photography, on a film camera. The woman who did our darkroom work at the newspaper did NOT appreciate having to process multiple rolls of film from one event so I learned to make every shot count. That doesn’t necessarily mean I am a good photographer by any stretch but being able to be snap-happy with my little digital is totally a guilty pleasure.

• Marsha is going to design my Christmas cards this year. I can't wait. But I have to get a good pic first. The pressure is on. The Belgians and I been having "practice" sessions with the props, a clicker and a lot of cookies.

• I am running a trap line in the basement, catching mice. Ugh. Morning routine: let dogs out, let dogs in, feed dogs, shower, dress, eat breakfast, wash breakfast dishes, make bed, carry laundry to basement, check mousetraps, empty mousetraps, re-set mousetraps, remind Phoenix he cannot eat a mousetrap.

• I’ve been promoted (and I use that word loosely) to assistant receptionist at the newspaper office. We’ve got so many people out A) sick or B) trying to use up their vacation before the end of the year, that the phone rings off the hook and there aren’t enough front office people to answer it, so the editorial staff is pitching in (not that we don't have anything better to do but it's more fun to do someone else's work than our own). Yes, the inmates are running the asylum. The Farmer called yesterday, I answered the phone and neither of us recognized the other one. Not sure what that means.