School shopping...done. That's right, only August 5th and we're all set for school to start on...well I don't know what day. I can't find a calendar for this school year on the districts website. That's a little ridiculous. I think it's September 3rd, but that is just a total guess. Anyway here's a summary of the day.

I woke up at 9 on my own and therefore had the first night of sleep and waking up when I wanted to since the weekend before some time. It was long overdue. I was able to enjoy a bowl of cereal and cup of coffee while I read. Avery came home from Tim's and she had an hour long bath before we took Geronimo to his agility testing. He is now a green band bunny. We have to work on me not touching him so much to get him to move. I have a video of the last session and its kind of cool to watch. We stayed for hoppy hour and then headed home.

My mom had picked Riley up to bring to Petsmart for grooming. It's been awhile because I've had to buy Frontline, food, etc and the pet fund keeps getting used up before I've had the $60 to get him groomed. Anyway he was really hairy. I picked him up and Jane (the groomer) showed me how about half of his back and left shoulder is a giant hot spot that is scabbed up and gross. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed, even with all the fur and now I feel like a big idiot. Poor man. Jane also said he was very growly, snappy with her for everything from bathing, to drying, and cutting. He even bit her today for the first time. So now she might not be able to groom him anymore. I asked if I could just get him some ace to sedate him, and they said they can't groom sedated dogs. I'd have to bring him to the vet. Now I worked at a clinic and I had to groom some cats under sedation. We basically shaved them down. I have no experience as a groomer and there's a reason we've paid so much money for Jane to groom him for all these years. I don't know what to do about that.

So I called Hillcrest Animal Hospital right down the road here and left a message for them to call me back about getting in first thing tomorrow morning. It's $50 just for the office visit there, so I know it's going to be an expensive venture. I hope they don't have to shave him, but I'm thinking they probably will. I used to bring him to Century Animal Clinic in Oakdale, but I don't feel as confident about their skill when it comes to creative problem solving. They're low priced and good for vaccines and routine things like dentals, spays and neuters but...yeah. 

Today Avery and I have been so productive. I love that! We picked Sierra up some Frontline on the way to the farm for lessons and therapy. She got to run around and visit with everyone so she was happy (Sierra that is). We stopped by RM Tack, which was Sierra's home for the last few years. She was very happy to visit her old friends and sister Sally. We had to make her leave, I think she would have been happy to stay! Avery got new spurs and straps and I got a pair of breeches. They didn't have tall boots in my size, so I'll try again another time.

We stopped by my parents house and fed Morgan on the way home and now we're relaxing for a bit before dinner. Which I still have to  make, so I should probably get going. Tonight is my friends fundraiser for his rugby team and Matt is picking me up after Avery goes to bed. So I've got a pretty full day.

Today started with me discovering the bathtub had backed up overnight and flooded my bathroom and into the hallway. The carpet was soggy for a few steps into the hallway. Management brought a industrial floor fan to dry it up and sent someone to snake the tub. AGAIN. I don't know how many times I've had that done since I moved in, but I think this was the third or fourth time. I could deal with not having that ever happen again...

I had a doctors appointment to get a birth control implant called Implanon this morning too. I went in, paid my $20 copay only to find out they hadn't actually set up the procedure, only a consult. So I was kind of angry because I didn't want to have to pay another $20 copay to come back another time to have it put in, when I was there for it then. So they worked me into the schedule but I had to come back in an hour. I putzed around at Target and came back. I didn't really know how big it was going to be, but it turns out it's the size of a matchstick. Quite large really! It's just under the skin so I can feel it, and that's kind of weird. It's good for 3 years though, and I won't have to make the every 3 month trip to the doc for a depo shot. I have a pressure bandage on that I have to keep on until tomorrow, and then I have to keep the bandaid underneath it on for 5 days. Oh and I could have a sizable bruise come tomorrow.

So due to this I was told not to go to my boxing class at the gym. I instead went to my parents house and did laundry, balanced the checkbook, and vacuumed my car. Then I sat out on the patio and read until my hair appointment. It's official, my hair has been altered after over 10 years of black and blonde. It was scary, but the blonde was so unhealthy I needed to make a change to get it back in shape. So now it's black and red. The red is kind of rusty colored right now, and that was expected since the blonde was so bleached out. The next session in 3 weeks should bring it to the darker red/burgundy color I'm looking for. It's a big change. I'll be honest, I don't like it right now, but I'm hoping I will eventually. *sigh* I hate change!!

Avery headed off to Grandma Robin's last night to get ready for Gale Woods farm camp, which started today. She'll be gone for the week, and home Saturday. I already miss her, hehe. It's funny how that happens. Yesterday was bunny agility, then we skipped hoppy hour and came home to drop him off before Cordelia's 2nd birthday party. We picked up my friend Chris' son Dylan and brought him along. I absolutely adore that little boy. He didn't want to go home either! So I let him stay for a little bit after Avery left. Otherwise the place would have been empty too soon.

Today I should stay fairly busy with work, checking on Morgan, and the gym. I also have season 5 of Burn Notice to watch. I'll make it through somehow! =)

Como Zoo field trip number two. Last year Castle's kindergarten class went and now this year at Little Canada the first graders. It was about 80 degrees so it was a bit warm, but not deathly so. I had Avery's friend Riley (who drives me a little crazy), Grace and Leticia. They all did pretty well actually, each with their own issue or  two, but overall not bad. Leticia had a hard time keeping up and staying with the group, Riley had to comment on how everything stunk, or how monkeys pee on the glass and they're gross, etc etc, and Grace decided to stop a few rides by raising her hand when not entirely necessary. Avery threw a minor fit after they wouldn't let her on the tornado ride even though she was probably only half an inch too short. It was toward the end of the day and she was getting hot and tired anyway. So the bus picked up the rest of the kids and we could have gone back in, but Avery was tired so we just left.
We stopped at Dairy Queen on the way back and got some ice cream. After an hour nap for me we headed to the park for a few minutes before we had to eat and leave for dance. I brought the dog brushes and got rid of some excess fur on both Sierra and Riley. I could have combed for hours. Those dogs have so much hair! Especially Sierra.

This was the last night of dance for Avery before her recital on Saturday. We're still not sure if she's going to do it in the fall or not. She wants to try gymnastics, sometimes she says she still wants to dance, and sometimes she doesn't want to do anything. We'll reassess in the fall. Her coordination and timing with dance isn't great, and I don't know if it will get better or not. I'm not good at any of that myself so maybe she inherited my gracelessness. Gymnastics might be a better fit for her energy level, but then again she's done dance for 3 years now and it'd be neat for her to stick with it as she got older. So I'm not sure what to do on that account either.

Next week swimming lessons start twice a week for four weeks. Then she'll need to go on for the next camp of four weeks, but I'll have to figure out how to get another $130. Money money money!

Sierra is curled up on the couch for our nightly ritual of browsing the web and then reading a book. She is my little cuddle bug, and always has to be by my side. I just got out of the shower and she lays in the hall and snoozes while I'm in there. Did I mention I LOVE THIS DOG?! She has brought a lot of fun and happiness to our home.

Avery and I went on a walk Thursday afternoon with Riley and Sierra down the path by our place. Avery walked Sierra and she did great, well both of them really. She doesn't pull, she comes when called, and keeps up the pace. She greets other dogs and people a long the way and I think this is where she really gets her kicks. She may enjoy the walk, but what she really loves is schmoozing. She's such a schmoozer. Haha. Our neighbors on the other end of the building (Warren and Cheryl) have a dog named Max that Sierra went over to meet the other night. We stayed and talked for about 15 minutes and while I've waved to them frequently over the past 2 years, this is the first conversation we had! It's amazing how a good dog can get you out and talking to people.

In Riley's defense, he is taking this all very well. He's been acting like himself lately (I think the Rimadyl is helping too) and he likes wandering around the yard with Sierra too. She tends to need to meander for a few minutes before she'll do her business outside, where Riley will hop out the door and go right away. So I've been bringing him a long too, and while not necessary, he likes it. Now come winter, hopefully Sierra will figure out the art of a quick potty trip to the outdoors because then I won't feel like meandering so much. Haha.

Sierra arrives!

So yesterday we stopped at RM Tack to see a corgi that was Louey's (lived at Pine Lake until he had a car accident) momma. She had to be spayed when the last litter of puppies didn't survive. They were looking for a good home for her to go to, for free! So I told my mom about her because she thought Louey was awesome too. We went to meet her and it was pretty much love at first sight. She is so amazingly calm, sweet, and adorable. She gave kisses (but not sloppy, nasty ones) an squirmed her way onto the laps of everyone, including Avery. She loves belly rubs and "talks" in a warble-y growl when you do it.

So we brought her home and gave her a bath (she was pretty dusty from living outside) and while she didn't enjoy it, she held still and let us do what we needed to for about a half hour! Then we rubbed her down and let her explore the apartment. She did fine with Riley and Rafferty and even Majik (who isn't a fan of all these dogs showing up). Mom brushed her for ages, she's very tuft-y like Tasha was when she blew her winter coat. So there was lots of fur to be had, and she tolerated that too.

Next stop was my parents house to meet Napoleon who's buddy she was intended to be. She followed him around, sniffing and being a good girl. Poor Polee though was a bit nervous. He really doesn't know how to act around other dogs, so he was just trying to hide. My dad took Napoleon's side of course and was concerned for him. So Sierra and I went outside and had dinner, then I brushed and brushed her some more. I brought her home with me and the kennel Riley used at my parents house.

After a long day she got a little growly at Riley when he started yelping from  his collar. I put her in a little time out in my bedroom after she jumped on him and did a mini-attack. Nobody was hurt but I wanted her to have a break from the chaos. When I brought her back out, she slept on the right side of the couch, Riley on the left while I watched Dog Whisperer until midnight and finally went to bed.

She slept all night in her kennel without so much as a peep. I let her out and she followed me outside. She was  little hesitant to go potty, but then I brought Rafferty out and he peed on the rocks where she decided, oh yeah that's a good idea. I put them back inside and was picking up the towels from her bath yesterday hanging on the chairs outside when Rafferty decided to make a break for it. I chased him down the street and when I looked back, Sierra was running as fast as her little legs could carry her, after me. I caught Rafferty, she stopped to potty on someones lawn and then she trotted along beside me all the way back home.

Yep, I love her. It's a fact.