Labradoris

Starrfadu is a Springfield, MO band that Kleenex used in their advertisement, "Let It Out."

While I was in Springfield recently I meant to pick up their new album, but didn't get a chance.  I bought their first album when it first released (2005) "A Narrow Road to Silence" and it's nice.  I was able to see them live a few times.  It's always nice to see a hometown band "make it."  (Yes...I just called Springfield my home town!  I miss it!)

Anyway, glad they are getting some national recognition. 

Let It Out, Kleenex commercial

Joel and I were driving down the main drag of the town a few months ago, and a big, pimped-out Ram truck pulled in front of us at the stoplight.  We sat there silently for a few moments, observing the massive amount of space it was taking up.  Suddenly Joel spoke up, "That's quite a truck. I can just see the guy at the dealer now: 'Excuse me, do you have anything more hick?'"
I laughed, and Joel continued, "And then the dealer says, 'Why, yes, sir, but we're out of the hick-deluxe model. We'll have to special order it.' "
I laughed and agreed.  Then Joel cocked his head and said through a smirk, "And then I bet he was like, 'When I rev my engine, will it play a Toby Keith song?'"

So I was at the park the other day, when I saw/heard the following exchange:

A teenage mother, supporting herself against a fountain because she was just that bored, texting away. Her little boy plays with a little girl that's nearby on the lawn.

The little girl is accompanied by two females, both sitting on a park bench (the little girl does not resemble the women, which makes me think she must be adopted...or something...)

The kids develop a game of sorts. The little girl pretends to faint, collapse, and the little boy skips over and pretends to punch her. They follow this routine several times. The little girl says loudly, "You're acting like a daddy!"

The teenage mother, still texting, shouts, "He's not a daddy -- he didn't screw you!"

The End.


This story, is, I'm afraid to say...very true.

This is something I wrote November 17, 2007, a full year before we adopted Landy.

Dear Cosette,

Thank you for being a part of my life.

I love that you are my hiking buddy, always ready for a new trail. I know we'll always make it to the top, no matter how steep the incline. I like that you stay within 30 feet of me on the trail, and make sure to stop and look back to make sure I'm okay. I don't know how you know this, but you whine when I'm lost.
I wanted to also tell you I like the sound your tail makes when you are sitting in front of me. The little "swoosh swoosh swoosh" of your tail against the carpet makes me smile.

Thank you for putting your head in my lap for a nice ear scratch. I like the way your coat feels, so this is of benefit to both parties.

Thank you for not tearing apart my kitchen, chewing inappropriately, or otherwise destroying my property when I am at school for long hours. I miss you too. I'm really happy when I come home and you are there to greet me, and the only thing I see different is the level in your water bowl.

I like the sucking sound you make on your kong toys (you know, the kind I stuff with tasty food morsels). I find this funny.

Thanks for running with me. You're a good running companion!

I think it's hilarious when you snort. You know, when you really dig your schnoz into something that smells really good (dirty laundry, the carpet, the grass) and go SNIFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF SNIFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. You also make a sound in your throat when you look above you and try and smell something. It sounds like someone clearing their throat, which is a little weird, but funny nonetheless.

I very much appreciate your companionship while I take my shower. I like opening the shower door and seeing you on the rug, waiting for me to get out. You're just too cute.

I like watching you lunge off docks and lakesides, intent on your training tool. You're a good swimmer and I admire how you somehow know where the training tool is, even if you've lost sight of it.

Thanks for being an excellent learner and teacher as we both trained each other in our first obedience class. More to come!

Just a few things, though.

If, for whatever reason, I have clothes on the floor, that's not an open invitation to claim an item as your own. This also means that when I am halfway done packing, you shouldn't see an open suitcase as an invitation to climb on in. Your packing skills do not amuse me. Your expression, though, when I catch you IN my suitcase, amuses me.

Quit eating my knee-high hose. You make me worry about intestinal blockages until I see it emerge a few days later, and I'm getting tired of buying hose.

Would you please quit following me into the bathroom? I even try and close the door, but you nose it open and barge in. Come on in.

I love the fact that you know to be quiet and go to sleep when I do -- and I love it even more that you know what I mean when I say, "Let's go to bed," and you go to your bed on the floor and I go to mine. I even like it when you wake me up at my scheduled wake-up time. To slide my hand out from underneath the warm covers into the chilly air is unpleasant, but I like when my hand finds your warm fur. But please. If it is before 5 a.m., please don't wake me. This 4:30 a.m. stuff that's been going on for the past few days needs to end, please.

But other than that, I like having you around. I admit that I miss you when you aren't around me!

I think you already know this, but my two favorite times with you are when you are sleeping or chewing on your toys right at my feet when I work at home, and on our nightly walks. I love the fact that I can put both hands in my pockets and not worry about you pulling on the leash, but knowing that you are right by my side without looking down. I like wandering the dark, quiet streets with you. Thanks for being my dog.

Love,
Me

So, I'm at the movie theatre, and I wanted to reduce the level in my bladder to a manageable amount before I loaded more Cherry Icee into it during the movie.  I walked into the stark white and cream bathroom, with black and white floor tiles, mind you, and assumed I was the only one in there.  I shut the stall door, and sat down to do my business, when I heard a few stalls down in a high-pitched voice,  "Like, oh my god, like, everything OUTSIDE of my jacket is cold, and like, everything INSIDE my jacket is warm!"  I swear, I stopped mid-stream by the time the mystery voice finished talking, and waited to hear what was going to be said next, and, BOOM, "Oh yeah, I know, like right? Me too!"  I heard these two women laugh stupidly and flush and walk up to the sink counter.  I hurriedly finished, wanting to see who in the hell just made such an inane observation.  I quickly gathered my purse and exited the stall, sidling up to the counter to wash my hands.  I did the whole 'I'm studying you in the mirror but I'm really acting like I'm washing my hands, don't mind my dropped chin but uplifted eyes' routine, and saw 2 very severe blondes running their hands through their hair and wiping away imaginary make-up smudges.  I'm all, dude, this is a small town.  I didn't know we had Playboy Bunnies here.  They continued to giggle in Barbie Binary -- you know, the kind of high-pitched talking that occurs between girly girls, and if you listen, you can't really distinguish what they are saying, but you know that vast amounts of information is being exchanged  (thanks to Joel's term and definition)-- and I wanted to tell them, "Why don't you just go ahead and get undressed there, and here's some pillows for your fight out in the lobby." 


"Everything outside of my jacket is cold, and everything inside my jacket is warm!"  YOU THINK?

Cosette and Landy had an awesome time out on the ice when we went hiking today.  We didn't originally encourage them to go out on the ice, as they ran out there on their own, but afterwards we threw a stick or four out there for 'em.  We stopped because we could hear the ice cracking and Joel didn't want to go rescue them out in the middle of pond.  I was all, dude, they're LABRADORS.  Swimming through icy water is what they do! 
But he's right.  I totally wouldn't have been the one to belly-crawl out on the ice.

I have really been enjoying rosiemusic's etsy site.  I love the watercolors and whimsical style she has.  I ordered two prints recently, Computer Love and Too Shy (though not in wood) and love them! 

Computer Love.

A few weeks ago I was sitting on the bed listening to my other half read LG a Berenstain Bear book that's called "The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies."

The story meanders through the tale of how the bear cubs get a bad case of the gimmies, and how the cubs learn not to throw fits and ask for everything in sight.  We finished reading the book, and LG promptly smiles and turns the book over to look at the back cover.  On the back of the books, the publishers have placed pictures of all the books in the series.  He points to all of them and declares, "And now you have to buy me all of these!!"

I was having a discussion with Little Guy (LG) yesterday.  He and I had gone to the police station while Joel was in a late afternoon meeting.  We went to the police station so I could get the city licenses for the dogs (they have to be on record in case they ever get lost), and LG was THRILLED to see all the police cars.  While I was waiting at the window filling out paperwork, he was clinging to my leg and looking wide-eyed all around the station.  I held him up so he could look in the receptionist area and he was so impressed.  I was like, yes, look at all the police paperwork!  Haha.  There was just a lady helping me, surrounded by filing cabinets, so it wasn't impressive but he was in awe.  Then we got to see a real policeman walk in with someone from the Army, and the army guy stood behind us in line and the policeman went through a security door into the back.  LG was looking up at the army guy, wide-eyed, and I said, "Are you scared, little guy?"  And he shook his head no and whispered, "I LOVE policemen.  And firetrucks.  And doctors.  And army people."  I said, "Yes, they help protect us, don't they?" and he nodded and smiled up at the army guy.  Then the policeman emerged from the back and walked out of the station, and LG stared after him and was SO IMPRESSED that we were there getting to see the policemen in their uniforms.  It just made his day.  That's all that he could talk about when he saw Joel.  Then, we were sitting around and LG was on my lap and telling me how much he liked policemen and firetrucks.  I said that my daddy was a fireman (kinda) and his eyes got really big and he goes, "I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!!!!  Your daddy's a FIREMAN??"  I told him how my father helps fight fires and teaches other people how to fight them, and he said that was "SO COOL."  He then excitedly said, "And what does your mom do?  Is she a firefighter too?"  I said, "No, she stayed at home and took care of my sister and I when we were growing up."  And he thought for a second and then said, "Well, she needs to be something.  She can either be a firefighter, a policeman, or a doctor.  Which one will she be?"  And I said, "Well, I guess she'll be a policewoman!"  And he said, "Okay.  Tell her that."