I am not political but...

 

I have always been impressed with candidates for office that knock on doors for themselves.  This young man (if I can call him that, he has three children and is a neurosurgeon) is running for Board of Regents of our University.  I saw him going down the street on Sunday while I was coming to the end of Ember's walk.  Later he knocked at my door, and I clipped Ember's leash on to answer.  

We chatted for a bit about education, and I did something I seldom do... I gave him permission to place a yard sign, and I took his picture with his five-year-old with the sign.

Ember, by the way, took me for over two miles on the leash Sunday.  No bunnies.  No eating of other animals' poo.  And no stray human food, either.  So I have to call that a good outing!

On Monday, Ember got a treat in the afternoon.  The mowers came early, on a non-daycare day!  So she got to go outside onto the deck, and outside onto the front porch, in order to see them do their thing.  She looked so happy!

Overnight Monday, we had another of those sleep-interrupting storms roll through.  Ember got me up with her barking, twice!  My watch declared I got under 4 hours of sleep, because I essentially gave up and got up, laid on the couch and maybe got a few more minutes.

Tuesday morning I did a little catch-up nap after taking Ember to her daycare.  I needed that!

I did a short strength training session Tuesday afternoon.  I haven't been back to the personal trainer since April, so these short sessions are my way of easing back in to something I know is good for me.  

Got good, solid sleep overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday!  Yay!  Wednesday morning dog-walk resulted in 3 encounters with "other animal's poo"... and she left them alone!  Hu-Mom was so happy!

The rest of the week got swallowed by the black hole of SparkPeople!  Seriously, the first class of "Healthy Weight" which promises a maintenance piece, is here.  It's lecture hall sized, he's allowing 200 members per class.  Which is a bit more than most of us have as social limits for close friends, for sure.  But there's an energy of working toward a common goal.

It's Saturday as I wrap up to post.  Ember and I have been out on a 2 mile walk already, with puddles on the ground from the rain that came through in the 4 a.m. hour.  

This felt good, because Friday morning's walk was a mom-frazzling one, while she stopped in the middle of the street to lap at something edible that had been discarded (or dropped by the garbage truck going by) and smashed by being run over by vehicles, but it still smelled good to Ember!  I was directing traffic in the street and apologizing to drivers who were face it, amazingly patient with us.  One guy rolled down his window to joke, "When you need a break, you need a break!"  Even the giant garbage truck waited for me to get her back to the sidewalk.  I do hope it made them smile and nobody was late to where they were going.  I mean, I prefer to "be a good human" and I tell Ember all the time that her job is to help mommy be a good human!

Life is good!  Spark on!

More new Ember adventures

 

Ember:  "What is this?  Oh!  Do I get to help dry off the dishes?"

Believe it or not... my co-mum-in-law gave me a little knitted gadget that lets me hang a dishtowel on the stove handle.  I put it in place on Tuesday, while Ember was at day care.  When she came home, she gave it a good sniff, and even a bit of a taste test.  Guess it doesn't smell/taste like meat.

She has left it alone since!

On Wednesday we went to the dogs-allowed-inside store, the one where I purchase her treats and one of her kibble brands.  I knew I wanted about four things in the store, so I started to pull out a shopping cart.  Oops!  Ember has never accompanied me when I was using a cart.  She backed away.

I opted to skip the cart.  This time.  We will try again on another visit.  A cart would have been useful.  I was juggling a small bag of kibble, two packs of 10-inch-long chews (BOGO sale), and a pack of 100 of the size I call her "Itty-bitties".  I made it about halfway to checkout before I was getting tangled up between leash and these.  Fortunately, a friendly clerk offered to help me carry the things up to the counter!

In retrospect, Ember was "pretty good".  She didn't pull or go nuts (other than shying away from the cart).  We made it across the parking lot to the car and she hopped right in.  Continued progress!

Thursday morning, she happily went into her day care.  She even kept her paws on the ground.  Her ears are bothering her, I can tell, and her next dose of the ear medicine was due Friday morning.  

It happened, but it was a whole adventure, involving trapping her in the car so I could control her movements.  Before I got to that solution I tried the bathroom (too many things she could grab and run off with, that turned into a marvelous game of chase, in her opinion).  We had an episode of slipping out of her harness.  Eventually, I pronounced getting the gel into the ears "good enough for my first time." She should not have to worry about mom doing this again for a while.

With that accomplished, I was free when I got word that the Ace needed a little help with her pup being "home alone."  Ace and her hubby were both unavailable, but I still had a house key, so was able to go feed and walk and medicate Benji.  Isn't he the cutest?  17 pounds and "older" but don't tell him he's geriatric.  He is quite capable of a fast walk, and a good tug on the leash!  I think he takes after his "Old One".  

I, in the meantime, while I talked to him, kept getting confused about what to call myself. "Mom" is what I use when referencing myself to Ember.  "Grandma" is what I use when referencing myself to Carl (son's dog).  "Aunt Barb" is what I have used to reference myself to Benji in the past.  I would go through all three, like my mom used to do going through her five kids' names before hitting the right one!

Ember napped during both rescue missions, and while she sniffed me thoroughly after each, she seems confident that she's still the top dog at this house!

Saturday morning, we had rumbles of thunder overhead.  It quit raining by 7, though, and we got in a leash walk in the neighborhood.  Today's challenge was a bunny, doing bunny things, audaciously, within 20 feet of Ember. 

I walked her a little closer.  MISTAKE!  This mimics the stalking phase of the prey sequence, and she surprised me by lunging for the bunny, right after I had choked up on her close leash handle (the one you use when walking in traffic).  OMG, this dog is strong!  Benji may have a strong tug, but Ember can force the issue when she is motivated to do so. The bunny went under an evergreen tree, Ember would have dragged me through it, but I don't fit!  I took a couple of giant steps before I got her back in line.  

Anyway, she scared me, but we survived.  I talked her back to the sidewalk.  Once we got reset, the rest of the walk was fine, but it does remind one of the power at the other end of the leash. Ember looked so proud of herself!

Anyway, that's the Emberville news for now.  Over on Spark I'm getting back in the swing of posting my pep talks as blogs.  I have reconnected over there with some I "lost" over here. Being "back on Spark" reminds me of how important the audience is.  Just as a performer "reads the room" a blogger reads the audience, and it influences what you write.

If anybody hasn't got one and needs an invitation to get onto Spark, let me know.  I still have several left.

Life is good!  Spark on!

Ember's newest lessons

I have a new electric can-opener.  I haven't had an electric one since I lived with my parents (1970's?)  But this little one has a USB rechargeable battery, and it shaves the can top off.

Well!  I tried it once to learn how to use it myself on Tuesday when Ember was off in daycare.  Her first exposure was Friday morning.  She got very excited over the little thing, because after all, it altered the routine of mama cranking the handle of the manual one to open her green beans.  And it makes noise and moves on its own.  

Ember got so excited she swiped the plastic container I had put out on the counter to hold the contents of the newly opened can.  She hadn't done that in months.  She was very polite about giving it back, but unfortunately, her teeth had already done a number on it, and it landed in the trash.

One thing about having this kind of pup in the house: they "help" you down-size.

Remember a week or so ago when I mentioned Ember eating some other dog's poo?  Well, Saturday morning she did it again!  Twice.  On one walk!  I wonder what prompts this?  Must have something to do with either nutritional deficits or wild roots and marking or masking who's been in the territory.  Seems like something to mention on her next vet visit!

At home we now have the game of running up the stairs and practicing "find mommy".  Thank goodness, she's no longer eating the carpet on the stairs.  It's even got me thinking about ordering replacement carpet.  I'm not quite ready to take the door off the crate for good, but we are in a testing phase for if we're ready for more freedom.

FGC got an invite to "meet the coach" meaning the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhusker football team related to his little soccer award.  The lines were long.  The Mythical son escorted him.  Kiddo got tongue-tied when faced with Coach Rhule. Son explained, "This is ____ (kiddo's name).  He's a little shy.  He's seven."  The coach started to say "Hi, ____.  Thank you for com-" then interrupted himself, "He's seven?" 

Foster grandson is almost 8.  He is the tallest of the kids in the 2nd/3rd grade kids trying out for a basketball team.  We have a birthday party coming up in a couple of weeks.  He's head and shoulders taller than most of his sports teammates (teams based on age).  You could almost imagine the coach "aging up" this youthful potential.  OK, let's not get ahead of ourselves.  

Sunday morning, Ember did not go on a search mission for other dogs' droppings.  Yay!  It was 74℉ and HUMID and I was drenched in sweat when we got home.  

Sunday afternoon we went to see the local minor league baseball team play.  The Winnipeg Goldeyes were the opponents, so we got both the Canadian and the US national anthems at the start.  In the middle of the continent, we're not as good as the folks in Buffalo, NY at knowing the words of "O Canada" but we did our best!

Kiddo spent most of the game on the playground or in the bounce house.  But he wanted to run the bases as is tradition, after the game is over.  All the kiddos in the stands can line up and go run.  FGC put in a good effort, feeling the sense of competition with the other kids.  

The three ladies (me, DIL and her mom) kibbitzed in the stands.  Son and DIL took turns supervising FGC.  Yes, that's beer in a baseball bat shaped container.  DIL and her mom split it between them as it holds about two beers worth!

I got my selfie with the Mascot, Homer!

From 2011 with Homer

This is the one from Sunday afternoon.  Hot dog in hand!

The home team won.  Ember forgave me leaving her home in her crate (she would NOT have enjoyed the heat out there at the ball park).

Monday morning, it was back to normal routine... almost.  Ember and I encountered rain about two blocks in to our neighborhood walk.  She's not a big fan of water falling from the sky, but there was not much in the way of flashes or booms or even rumbles with this gentle cooling rain, and we covered about 3/4 of a mile.

Life is Good!  Keep on Sparking!

Ember sees the vet

Medicalizing is not just for the humans.

I made an appointment for an assessment of Ember's teeth.  Vet says her teeth are in good shape, but yes, start brushing.  Ok.  Can do.  At least NOW I can do.  Two years ago it was out of the question!

I had brought along the entire collection of things I've spent money on related to dental care. I asked his opinion on each of them.  The powder probably wouldn't do much good. It's supposed to be sprinkled on top of her kibble to whiten her teeth and freshen her breath.  Yeah, I succumbed to another one of those ads.  

A little soft rubber-feeling brush that you put on your fingertip like a thimble.  Vet says this one is the best of them.  Toothpaste is not essential, but if the flavor makes it easier for her to allow her teeth to be brushed, fine, go for it.  It comes in peanut butter flavor.  

The yogurt chews that I give her, one a day, are good, keep doing that.  The little finger tooth wipes (that do not have the brush part) he said would be good if she rejects the brush.  The brush with bristles on a handle, he judged not as good as the fingertip brush.  

Oh, and he says avoid tennis balls and bones.  Others had already warned me about the abrasive nature of tennis balls on the enamel, so I've pretty much abandoned them.  The vet kind of laughed about the bones because I said, "but she loves them."  He said they make him a lot of money when they break teeth.  Nuff said.  No more bones, little one.

There you have it, one vet's opinion.  

The vet also checked Ember's ears, did the cytology and pronounced she has an ear infection.  Again.  This is the third, I think.  He cleaned her ears and applied the first dose of medication.  I have to keep her dry (again) and this time I am going to try to apply the second dose myself at home, next Friday.  Notice I'm getting braver?  Also saving money.  

He gave me kudos for being a good dog mom.  Charged me a bunch of money and sent me home. I like to get that reassurance every so often!  It's a plus that Ember likes the whole staff.

Saturday morning

The back is better.  In case I mentioned it before.  Normalcy has returned.  Ember took me around 1.9 miles this morning.  Partway through the dog-walk, I saw a group of runners headed our way, and the gait and silhouette of one of the leaders looked familiar.  "Is that Eddie?"  I asked Ember, as if she'd know.

Eddie is my old running coach, as in "hills for breakfast, Barb!"  He's now a police officer and runs a club called "Marathon Kids" which encourages running in children.  In the time since I was actively running under his coaching, he has married and is now a dad to a sweet little baby girl!  But he has NOT succumbed to "dad bod" as between his coaching, pace setting, and now profession keep him in tiptop shape.  Now, had he become an accountant, for example, we might be looking at a different story!

As the group approached, a familiar voice accosted me with, "It's the legend herself!"  Well, I'm not a legend, but Eddie could make anyone feel like one!

Even Ember wanted to follow him and his runners for a while.  Her nose took her off that task within about half a block.  

Anyway, the weekend is starting well.  Later today, FGC is going to the Huskers' meet the fans event.  Due to his soccer camp award, he has an invite to actually meet the head football coach.  I will await the reports from "the other side of town".  An almost 8-year-old is way too honest about his opinions.  The Mythical Son says FGC would probably be more interested in meeting the players than the coach.  FGC has already stated he would rather meet the head basketball coach.  But it's football season now!

Life is good!  Keep on Sparking, on or off the new SparkPeople.  (By the way, yesterday I encountered a Sparker on there who lives in France, I think she said.)

Little things and check lists

What is the downstream effect of heading back to "the new Spark"?  It seems as though the AI Sparkcoach has given a non-human encouragement layer to the goal setting and achievement scene that always was at the root of SparkPeople.  But the friendships we gained were all part of encouraging one another in the context of weight loss, health, and fitness.  We're all in the same human boat!

I don't want to knock what's going on over on SparkPeople, it's very useful, and it's bringing back a lot of memories of the original structure that worked so well for me, personally.  

But what makes me tick?  This became the real question as I started learning to navigate the new site.

• Helping others
• Encouraging others
• Sharing ones own experiences

Those are the reasons to blog on a platform like SparkPeople.  Cronometer was missing those.  MyFitnessPal was missing those.  Any other pure tracking tool, from the automated step counters to the sleep measuring watches are missing these.  They are wonderful tools, but they are not integrated with the community in the way that works best for me:  the written word, the personal experiences.  That's why, when Spark shut down five years ago, I shopped for a blogging site. I landed here.

Over the intervening five years, most of the original group of bloggers has fallen away.  A handful of us are left, and our blogs have evolved, mostly into daily or weekly updates on "life" and how it's going.  We don't have the access to newbies, or the need to share a bunch of motivational material.  We still share encouragement, and good wishes, and prayers (if we're so inclined), but many are in maintenance or have moved on.  We know what to do, and we go about the business of doing it.  We share what's working and what's not.

What are we missing?  Immigrants!  Seriously, folks new to the process who may need a little hand-holding and personal encouragement!

So, here I am, writing not just a Spark Blog over on the new Spark2, but continuing to blog here, and trying to figure out what's going on in my own head... because that's where all the motivation really happens!

In real life:

I made an appointment at the vet for Friday to have them look at Ember's teeth and help determine whether it's time to start down the path of dental cleanings.  I have never brushed her teeth.  When she was a puppy those razor sharp puppy teeth were giving me too much trouble with bitey behavior.  I only started conditioning her to allow me to brush her coat regularly about six months ago.  

Last week I got one of the doggy toothbrushes out and started the process of conditioning her to let me do things with her now adult teeth.  The vet is running a hundred dollars off an annual cleaning this month, so... tomorrow we'll find out if it is appropriate!

Across town, got notification that my son has signed up to be a head coach for FGC's soccer team!  Wow!  You know, I never would have thought I would raise the kind of kid who would do this.  Blame the army.  I tried doing things of this sort when I was younger (as in 20's) and discovered it way outspends my own social energy budget!  He's good at this stuff, mind you.  I'm not.  I do my best encouragement behind a keyboard!  LOL!

Anyway, life continues to be good.  Keep on Sparkin', on or off the platform so named!

The non-Spark news

Somebody feels totally safe!

Ember was deprived of her leash walk on Wednesday because of her hu-mom feeling her age.  I woke with a screaming lower back, pondering "what on earth did I even do yesterday?"

About mid-day it dawned on me:  stooping and staying stooped, bouncing a bit as I picked up plastic bottles or metal cans to lift from my own bin into the big bins at the recycling center.  It's that bouncing in the stooped position that's dangerous!  That, and stretching in funny directions while weeding.

Anyway, by evening it has calmed down.  I wanted to keep my 10 minutes streak going over on Spark, so I brought a pair of dumbbells upstairs and did some upper body weights and gentle squats and lunges.  Ember got three car rides over the course of the day to make up for me being reluctant to make my sore back worse if she got distracted on leash!  

I wanted to reward her for being so patient with me.  We went to the coffee drive-thru in the morning.  After her first puppy nap, since it was cool enough for her to stay in the car, we went together to the grocery store.  At lunch time she rode with me to the election commissioner's office to drop off my request for an early ballot.

As for Spark, it is a time of transition again.  Five years ago, it was transitioning off Spark and into our various "life rafts".  None of the life rafts were complete, but we have kept along, haven't we?

Now there's the potential of re-transition back to Spark.  But several of us may be leery.  How much can we trust it?  I mean, it went away before... will it go away again?  What if our friends don't come back to Spark?  Remind anyone else of changing school years?  

I'm gearing up for a time of checking multiple places.  Which I was sort of doing already, between blogs here and the maintenance team's Google group and some Facebook groups.

Whether you come over to the new Spark 2 or not, keep on using what you learned from Spark 1... because Life is Good when you do!

Back on Spark!

 

We have really enjoyed the cooler morning walks the past four days.  Ember has taken me round several different loops in the neighborhood.  We have showed off our good manners in giving other dogs and people room, and for the most part avoiding the worst of our enthusiastic greetings, thanks to a mom braced for it and watching the signs.  And holding tight to the leash those few times.

We went nose to nose in greeting with a rescue puppy, 3 months old, saved from Texas by the Beatrice, NE humane society, and adopted by a neighbor.  So cute.  So smart.  We ended the greeting about the time Ember went into a total tail wagging play bow, and I'm sure they would have enjoyed playing, but on the leash is NOT the time for that kind of play.  Gradually, my girl has learned to accept this, but I still have to be watchful.

Besides, a 3-month-old puppy is already a handful for my neighbor, she doesn't need my girl regressing and teaching bad habits to the new puppy when her hu-mom is doing so well!

I got into the new SparkPeople.  Wow!  Have to get myself to bed now, but I can feel the old pull.  It's been rearranged a bit, but I've already found Gloria from the FB group (I think she might be Canadian?)

Tuesday morning, I slept until after 5.  Ember was probably frustrated with me as I was paying attention to Spark stuff, trying to learn my way around the new AI-driven platform before she went to day care.  If anybody wants an invite, I have them.  If I have your e-mail I can send it directly.  I know at least a couple of you are already on it, and I've already put up my first blog over there.  I am now using OKM, instead of the longer version, as my display name.

Ember is now off to day care and I have to avoid getting sucked into an online black hole, because household tasks need attention while she's gone!

I survived my first day on the new Spark, have found a few folks that were in various "life raft" communities, and am slowly re-connecting over there.  I have discovered that international users ARE on the new Spark.  Canadian and UK users located so far.  I figured out what passes for a SparkPage (my Spark) and joined a few user groups, including Sparking with Dogs!

I'll keep on blogging here for a while, just to leave the breadcrumbs if I shift over there.  Also, my Archives from SparkPeople 1.0 of selected saved blogs live on this account.

Life is good.  Spark on!