Big Trees and Lots of Sticks

Things have been going well lately. The weather has been absolutely fantastic, (I actually got a sunburn yesterday!), and the dog is slowly getting slightly better behaved! I talked to the people at work about my feet and my inability to stand for 40+ hours a week, and they were completely understanding and are willing to work with me so that I don't hurt as bad. I really lucked out on that one. I half expected them to tell me that I better start looking for another job because vet techs have to be on their feet all the time. I work for some good people.

Keith, Kona, and I headed into the woods to chop down some trees for firewood yesterday and it was so nice to be away from people and outside for a change! I've never been involved with the falling of any large, dead trees before, so it was definitely a new experience for me. Those things fall hard! We only chopped down 2 trees, but managed to fill the trailer to capacity so, as you can guess, they were pretty big trees! Kona loved it and was in heaven with so many sticks around!

I also shot a handgun, for the first time in a really long time. I think maybe I shot one once when I was really young. Maybe Dad can help jog my memory on this one. At any rate, they are SO loud. Maybe I'm a weenie, but my ears were definitely ringing for the rest of the afternoon! I don't need earplugs to ride in the 4 runner (yet anyway!) but they're a definite necessity for shooting in the future! Can't imagine how loud bigger guns are!

So I was doing laundry yesterday and I found this...I hope it made you smile too!

I'm on a CD!!!

Well, lovely readers, this post is dedicated to some personal advertising. Don't stop reading yet, you may actually be interested...
The CD pictured above...I'm on it! The Big Bing Theory is an a cappella singing group at GU that I was in both my junior and senior years of college. We recorded a Christmas album this past spring, and the album is finally finished and has just been released. (i.e. it's available for purchase) I just received my very own copy, and I believe that this CD tops our last as far as quality and sound, not to mention the fact that everyone should love it simply because it's a Christmas album and, as far as I know, everybody loves Christmas!!!

If you'd like more information or would like to order your very own copy of the aforementioned CD, please visit www.gubbt.com. BBT love! As a side note, if you do order this CD, it's not an optical illusion, I am not in the group photos. Sadly, the photos were taken after I had graduated and moved away. However, as proof that I am actually on the CD, you can find my photo inside of the front CD insert. Woot!

Searching for Hot Springs

Hot springs are hard to find when the map consists of nothing but Keith's 8-year old memories! Let me explain...I have never been to a hot spring, and Keith remembers some around here being really, really sweet. So off we set on my day off, to find these hot springs, dog tagging along. The drive up the mountain and onto the Caldera is beautiful, the aspen, red and gold from the cold of early frost, vivid. As we search this road and that, all clearly un-marked and not on the map, Kona catches a glimpse of her first snowflakes! Brrrr! She loves it and wants to keep the windows down, again, brrrr! Hours pass and many drives down roads less-traveled and/or walks through the woods ensue, and still no warm water. Finally, after lunch next to a place called "Amanda's" and a few more dead-end roads with signs saying things like "trespassers will be shot at!" the place, thought to be a long-lost memory was found! At last! With sore feet and tired puppy hopping along, we began up the path toward the hot springs. Upon arrival, 2 ladies fill us in about the in's-and-out's of the pools, and then move on, back toward their awaiting cars. After tying the puppy up in numerous places to reduce whining and avoid puppy giardia, we step in to the warmth of the water.

Not minutes later, an older man with gray hair shows up. Thank goodness we decided against skinny dipping! At any rate, he had a car full of people waiting for him, and we can only assume that he was checking things out before the rest of the car committed to the hike up. He feels the water and begins climbing back up toward the trail. Keith warns him to be careful because the rocks are slick, and let's face it, he's probably not what he used to be. Seconds later, his foot slips and he falls backwards, onto rocks, not dirt, not sand, not water, rocks! All I think is, "please don't hit your head!" He doesn't listen to my thoughts. After falling 6 feet, crack goes his head on a rock, blood dripping everywhere! $hit! We help him up and assess his obvious injury, his head! He lucks out, only a small gash, he hits his head after first hitting his back, butt, and shoulders. I'm sure he's really hurting! It pains me to think about it! After offering to walk him back to his car and then deciding we'll wait a minute then follow, he takes off down the trail. Hot springs session=cut short. Lame! We expect to find him face-down on the trail, but luckily don't. By the time we get back to the parking lot, the man's car is nowhere to be found. Hopefully they didn't let him drive! Probably took him to the hospital, not a bad idea. Crazyness!

Come to find out, years ago, Keith's friend happened to witness a man take the same plunge, off of the same rock. He broke his back though and had to be carried out. We lucked out there. That would have been a tough hike for Keith, with an old guy on his shoulders! Or for both of us with the guy on some sort of a make-shift stretcher. Zoiks!

Perhaps, next time, we'll find the hot spring that we were looking for and nobody will bleed all over us while we're hanging out. Yep, that would be nice!

Puppies Take Time!

Well, as you might have noticed, it's been a while since I've updated the blog...about 2 weeks to be exact, minus puppy pictures. This is because puppies take time. A lot of time! They like to play and bite and chase and chew and sleep and eat and explore and poop and play...did I mention play?!? At any rate, Kona is pretty much the greatest puppy ever! We really lucked out with her. Her brother, who I originally fell in love with, turned out to have a not-so-great personality, which seems to be getting worse by the day. I was originally a little skeptical about getting the little girl, Kona, but she's amazing and I'm so glad that we picked her!
In other news, I'm getting much better at doing blood draws at work, little dogs still need work, but eh well. Also, I got to do my first dental on a dog today! Woohoo! This may not sound like a lot, but it's pretty neat, trust! It was on a bulldog though, and let me tell you that I'm very glad that I don't own a bulldog. Faces only a mother could love! That's all I have to say about that! That's a lie, because I'd like to add that bulldogs have hair, yes, little pockets of hair, fur if you will, between their teeth! Sick!

As for my feet, the news is not as exciting and I'm less than optimistic at this point in time... Standing for more than 8 hours a day 5 days a week is not going as well as I had hoped. Besides the feet, the knees now seem to be functioning at a much-older-than-I-really-am level. Not cool to say the least. Hopefully I can figure something out, continue getting used to standing, or modify my job somehow so that I can keep it. I really, really like it, but waking up in pain is a bad flashback to a not-so-long-ago time in my past when I should have caved and taken better care of myself. The stubbornness that I inherited (I wonder which side of the family that came from?!?) is not always such a good thing. Who knew? Anyway, for now I shall persevere and keep teaching Kona tricks. She's gonna be able to do it all!!! Ahahahahaha!

Welp, Grey's is about to start! Until later...

Puppy Tales!

I would like you all to meet my new baby, Kona! She's mutt to sum it up quickly! Australian shepherd, border collie, heeler, German shepherd maybe? Ranch dog...soon to be river dog!

She sleeps all the time now, well, except for at 4 in the morning...
*sigh,* but we love her!
Someday, she can be my guard dog.