And There Was One

Adam went home this evening. He is the puppy I chose for the family who won the Auction for the Dave Thomas Foundation Celebrity Cook-Off children's bureau thingie. They have two young children. The dad came over before Christmas and took a video of the puppy, gave that along with puppy supplies to the children on Christmas morning. Once the kids realized what that all meant, they were soooo excited. They were equally excited this evening when they came to pick the puppy up. They were so cute.

Now there is poor Ruffi and Chrissy.

Kind of a crappy Christmas

The poor puppies, I didn't get to see much of them today. Last night I went in to work at 6:00 p.m. then got off at 6:30 this morning, ran home to let the doods out and grab the santa presents, ran to Rick's house and put the presents under the tree, then lay down to take a quick (and I do mean quick) nap. The girls were up soon and we did the Christmas thing. After that I went home, took a nap, then got up and did some house work before going back to spend the evening with Rick (only because of the girls) and the girls.

Christmas shopping

Wow, would you look at the date. It is Christmas Eve. I really need to log off the computer and go start/do my Christmas shopping. I'm working tonight so I need to get it done so I can have time to nap before going in.

My Lincoln Manor email is not working. I haven't received any emails through it for several weeks now. To send an email to me, please us one of my personal addresses: rstanger4@insightbb.com or millykimbrough@yahoo.com

Have I mentioned how much I hate the crowds at Christmas shopping? Man...maybe I should go do more back entries here...then I will do the shopping.

Getting another Dood

I'm getting another adult female F1 Labradoodle! I'm so excited! She is coming from another breeder (well, of course), is completely health tested with most excellent hips, house trained, a proven breeder/good mommy, and is sweet. Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? She is coming after breeding with their mini Poodle boy, so she will be pregnant (hopefully). She is in heat now and will be coming after their Christmas embargo is lifted. They have mated these two before and got all chocolates and creams that grew to weigh between 25-30 pounds. Sounds perfect to me. You know the best part of all? This is one of those creative financing deals that is costing me nothing. I have something she wants and she has something I want. This is a perfect arrangement. After she gets here I'll tell you who she is, show pictures, and tell you from where she came.

Snow doods

The doods are having the best time playing out in the snow. Did you know Velvet loves the snow? She absolutely hates the rain and hates getting wet...but loves the snow. Just look at herShe is usually so prim and proper. Here she looks like a kid with white cake smeared all over her face.

Chrissy loves it so much I had a hard time getting a decent picture of her. Here she is just flying around Here though, here is a really cute picture

Let the potty training begin

It is time for Chrissy and the other two pups, Ponderosa (now named Ruffi by his new family) and Adam to start on potty training. They got to go out in the snow for the first time today. They were a little hesitant at first. Ruffi quickly got into it and loved it. Too bad, poor pup, he is going to move to San Francisco right after the first of the year. Here he is Ruffi is the darker one They are venturing out to where Velvet is
They all managed to pee/poo while they were out there. Yeah! That much less to clean out of their litter box.

This afternoon before I left for my *coff* friend's house, I put the pups in separate crates. I was gone for about 5 hours. When I got home, I took each out of their crate, picked them up and carried them outside. They all went right away. Adam and Ruffi had not messed at all in their crates, Chrissy had a bit of loose stool in hers and I'm sure she couldn't help it. She has had a lot of stress lately, leaving her mom and litter mates and home, flying to another country, eating new food, etc.... loose stool is to be expected. It does not mean anything is wrong. But anyway, I think these guys will get the potty training quickly.

Scary airport trip

That was one of the scariest airport trips I've ever had. This morning I took three pups to the airport so they could go home. Oh by the way, it has only taken me what...4 years now....to figure how to do the airport thing. I pick a day and time and let the families know when it is and I take the pups together for only one trip instead of seven separate trips. So anyway, I ended up staying up all night getting them ready. At 3:30 a.m. I fixed Jill up in a bed in the van, loaded the pups, and away we went. It didn't take too long until I started getting really tired. By the time I got to 465 (that is the main big bypass in Indianapolis with lots of merging and scary driving stuff that I hate)I had the radio on and was singing and talking to myself and trying all the tricks to stay awake. Several times I actually nodded off and snapped awake in a cold sweat. Man, that is scary. It is as bad as driving drunk. We made it to the airport safe, by the grace of God.
There was a family that showed up at the cargo department right after I did. They helped hold and play with the puppies while I was doing the paperwork. Two of the pups got to fly together in the same crate. They took the long way to New York...via Huston! At least they had each other for company. They didn't make one tiny peep when I put in the crate and left them. They are going to live right across the street from each other and will get to see and play with each other all the time. I love it when that happens. The other poor puppy though, I felt sorry for him being all alone. He is going to San Diego so I don't feel too terribly sorry for him. He has a bunch of kids anxiously awaiting his arrival.
By the time we were finished I was good and awake but afraid I'd get sleepy again. We went to the convenience store at the airport and I got one of those little bottles of 4 hour energy drinks. I drank that and lay (Mom-that doesn't look right. Is that the correct form of lay?) back and rested until I felt the effects kick in. The trip back was so much better. I was fine until the last 3 or so miles when I started getting really sleepy again. We did make it home in one piece. Now we just have Velvet, Chrissy, and the other Rosie pups at home.

*editors note* I'm going to work my way back on these late entries

The trip to get Chrissy

Chrissy, my new resident puppy, was born in Canada. Her mom, Deni, is co-owned with a breeder up there and that is where she lives. The only flight to get her from there to Indianapolis would involve Chrissy to be in the crate for 16+ hours. Yuck, that is not acceptable. So, she had to fly in to Columbus, OH. I worked the night before 6:00 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. and had to work again that night. There was no possible way I could work, then drive 7 hours, then work again with a clear head. Face it, who wants to be taken care of by a nurse who hasn't slept in days? Sister Teri to the rescue. My sister drove to Columbus, picked up the paperwork, drove an hour to the customs office to have done whatever needed done, drove back to the airport and got Chrissy, then brought her back to me. What a wonderful sister I have. She said Chrissy did not make one little peep and was a perfect puppy. Of course she was, she is Velvet's grandpup. I am so excited to have her.

Kendra's my new best friend!!

Look what I got today!!!

Introducing: Noble Vestal's Surprise Christmas Gift (Chrissy)
Isn't she so cute and cuddly and adorable? Yes of course she is. She is Velvet's granddaughter and I'm absolutely thrilled to have her. Remember Deni? She is Velvet's first puppy she had here, the litter with only one pup. Chrissy's parents are Deni and Koby (who also used to live here).

So what's going on? What is this all about? Well, I'm delighted to tell you all about it. First I need to confess, and I'm sure you never noticed this before, there has been a time or two *coff* or ten that I may have alluded to being not very happy with another breeder. Please notice I never have named or given any identifying information on who I've been peeved with (and there is more than one, by the way). I've written just enough that those involved knew who/what I was talking about. I've been very outspoken when I've been upset, now it is time to be very outspoken about being happy.

Way back many moons ago I gave Deni to Kendra. I was in over my head with the number of dogs I had in my home and was desperate for relief. Kendra just happened to come along just when I needed help the most. She had a genuine interest in the doods and asked really good questions. Deni might not win a beauty contest, but she has good genes behind her and has terrific test results. With lots of hard work, research, and networking, Kendra has built up a very success Australian Labradoodle breeding business with Deni as the foundation. Kendra's website I'm pretty proud of that. Anyway, as part of the deal I was supposed to get a puppy from one of Deni's litters. I had kept a female from the one litter of Deni's that I had. She ended up having a litter of 11, and I kept back one male and one female. When Kendra bred Deni, she used Koby as the stud. That is who I used with her too. Once when Kendra called me with a possible puppy to give me (it was definatly a puppy, the possiblity was I could have her), I declined saying I would not be able to use a Koby puppy in my program. I already had 2 Deni/Koby grandpups and didn't need another. I remember that conversation clear as a bell. She offered, I declined. We talked about it a couple more times, but I didn't need/want a Deni/Koby pup. Well then bad luck rolled around....I ended having to spay/neuter both of my pups from that line. The boy ended up with a less than ideal coat (the boys need to be to die for to use as studs), and the girl had only fair hips (I don't want to go down that road again). So....I lost the Deni line and was really upset about that. I was beating myself up over not having taken a pup, but I'm not a psychic so how could I have known? Although I never did get a pup, really Kendra did offer so what more was she supposed to have done? She offered, I said "no", and that could have been that. Contract completed. A month or two ago Kendra called to let me know the litter that Deni just had would be the last time she could give me a pup,and would I be interested in one? I tell you, I about jumped through the phone to kiss her. I was so excited to be able to get that line back. I think Kendra was a little bit surprised by my reaction, but she was very gracious. She offered and followed through. I got the puppy today.

For a brief recap: When Kendra offered a return pup in the past I flat out said "No, I have no use for a Deni/Koby puppy. I already have that." That did let her off the hook. She rose above that and continued to offer. When I did accept, she could have given me the last one, or the ugly one. She didn't. She went way above and beyond and gave the the pick of the litter. This puppy is perfect, the coat is perfect, the head is perfect, the temperament is to die for. This is definately a wonderful breeding quality Australian multigen Labradoodle puppy. I love this puppy.

I would like to publicly shout from the moutain tops my thanks to Kendra for giving me this wonderful puppy.

behind

Hey, where am I and what am I doing? Man, it has been so long since I've updated, I almost forgot my username and password. The puppies are cute and will start to go home next weekend. Bryony and Jill are doing well. Rick is getting serious with his new girlfriend (seriously, this is a good thing). I've been at my new (old) job for several weeks and love it. I'm having the time of my life dating. If life were any better I'd need to split in two. I'll go back and put in updates.

I've got a secret

Hey...*psst*...come here...I want to whisper something to you...I've started dating somebody...*giggle*...

That is why I've not kept up with the diary or the emails or updating the website. I'm working two jobs right now too. Velvet, Rosie, and the puppies are still getting all the same individualized attention, I'm just not taking the time to write about it. For some reason I'd rather sit here and IM with someone instead of describe the puppy poo. Rick is dating someone else too. We had lunch today and compared notes. Last weekend he came over to do laundry so he'd have something clean to wear on his date. I helped him decide what to wear. Today I called him in a near panic to ask him how to cook something (he is a fabulous cook), and he not only told me exactly how to do it, he even gave me a couple obscure ingredients. My mom thinks I'm living in a sitcom and my older daughter thinks she is going to be scarred for life. Rick and I are completely certain we will not be getting back together.

Life is grand.

A day off

Whew, that was rough working two whole days in a row. Today I moved the puppies to a whelping box in the utility room. They are just starting to play and are incredibly cute.

Bad Mommy Award

Today was supposed to be my day off from work. After all, I had to work one whole day after being off only 3 days. They needed me to go in today to do rounds with the doctor. I thought it would only take maybe three hours. Man, I was there all day. I kept getting side tracked and helped with other stuff. I loved it, the day sure went by fast. But...(never begin a sentence with the word "but")...I lost track of time and totally forgot I promised Jill I'd pick her up right after school so she wouldn't have to go to after-school. At 3:00 the school called to say she was waiting for me. I wanted to crawl under a rock. I promised her I'd be there. She does love going to after school and will usually cry if she doesn't get to go, so I thought it was special that she wanted to come home early today...and then I wasn't even there.

Velvet went with me to work today. She spent much of the time sleeping by my feet while I worked on the charts. She is getting more bold though and is starting to wonder around going to see all the people who love her.

Back to reality

Man I did not want to come home. I'm such a responsible adult, so I did. I arrived back to my house around midnight. I had to be up and at the med center for a physical for my new job bright and early at 8:00 this morning, ugh. After that, Velvet went to work. Velvet was so glad to go to work and see everybody.

This is the second post for the day

This could also be titled "Another reason why I don't want to be in the ILA (or ALAA or whatever they are called today)".
This morning the breeders all got together for brunch. I sat at a table with about 7 or 8 others. One of them turned out to be ALAA's treasurer. (The ILA is now called the ALAA) He was saying he didn't know why the ALAA didn't pay for every body's brunch since they have about $30,000.00 just sitting there. I asked him what he was going to do about the us being overcharged by the ALAA for last's night's dinner and sessions. He didn't know what I was talking about. I told him but I don't think he believed me until I showed him on Helene's Blackberry. Even then he has to look it up on his. Oh, I supposed I should tell you what I'm talking about. Before the convention, we had to go to the ALAA website and prepay for the lunch, dinner, and sessions. Dinner was $30, the 3 dinner sessions were $10 each. That is $30 + $10 + $10 + $10 for a total of $65.00. Oh wait, that is not right...that is $60.00. The ALAA charged us $65 online. We couldn't change the amount. Anyway, after I finally convinced him, know what he...the treasurer of the ALAA...said about it? "Not my problem" (uh dude, you are the treasurer, yes it is your problem) He said he didn't have anything to do with what was on the website. He just took in the money. I tried to say "but you are the treasurer-" he cut me off and said he just takes in the money. Then he said he is not going to cut 100 $5 checks. I tried talking to him but he just cut me off and said "If five dollars is going to brake you, Jane..." and he started reaching for his wallet. He was visibly upset. This just really really bugs the crap out of me. No, it isn't the $5 that bugs me, it is how this was handled. I'm not the one who made the mistake. I am simply the customer who pointed it out, yet he was upset and rude with me. When he found out the customers (that is what we are to the ALAA) were overcharged, as the treasurer, that absolutely is his problem and if it means he has to cut checks for everybody, than that is what he needs to so. Guess he just doesn't want to be bothered. No wonder the ALAA has $30,000.00 sitting around. Thank you ALAA for reinforcing that I do not want to be a member. I took and extra T-shirt. The treasurer said they are $5. Now we are even. Now what about everybody else who was overcharged?

After brunch, Renee, Helene and I went back to our room(s) and packed up. We checked out then went to the Lazy River Man, I did not want to leave. Alas, the time did arrive that we had to leave and go back home.

This was yesterdayHolly, Helene, Me, Renee

Next year's convention will be in Texas. I am trying to get Helene and Renee to help me put something together for the spring. I'd love to have a convention that is not tied to one of the organizations, and have it be mostly hanging out.

I can't sleep

Here is it 1:57 am (again) and I can't sleep. Helene brought her laptop and that is what I'm using right now. I wish I could check my email, that is driving me nuts. I'm not sure how to check it anyplace but on my own computer. I've decided I Have to get a Blackberry. Not the fruit, the little hand held email-checker-device-thingie. Helene and Renee were both sitting in the fascinating seminars checking their emails while I was left to have to actually pay attention to what was going on. I wanted to slap some sense in to some of the people there. Oh my gosh, they were asking questions that the speaker had just answered, and/or kept asking the same questions or hounding on the same topic. I wanted to tell them to just shut up so we can go out and enjoy the warm Florida sun.

So here it is, the middle of the night and I can't sleep. I feel wired like I had half a pot of coffee right before going to bed. If I were home I'd be checking my email, reading the Doodle forums, grooming a dog, or doing dishes. Maybe I'll go to bed and just enjoy not having to do work. After all, that was the point of my coming here. The seminars were just an added bonus (sort of).

More elbow rubbing

I am having so much fun. It is great meeting the other breeders in person. I spend so much time on the breeders forums and emailing back and forth with other breeders that I feel like I know many of these people already. We had a yummy lunch and some seminars this afternoon. Once again Helene and I skipped out early and waited for Renee to hurry and come back. Once she Finally got back (oops, we had the car and she ended up having to walk - sorry Renee), we went to the Lazy River. Renee wouldn't get in! Can you believe that? We have been talking about our fabulous Lazy River Experience for a year, and she wouldn't even get in today. At least Helene joined me. It was wonderful. The water was perfect, like bathtub temperature. I managed to avoid having to go under the waterfalls right up to the end. I lost my grip on side and got caught in the current and went right under the waterfall. I'm nearly sure I heard Holly (of Four Paws) behind me laughing at me. Speaking of Holly, she brought her kids! Can you believe that? What kind of mother is she bringing her kids to sunny Florida and taking them to Disney World and MGM and all those other places? For some strange reason she wasn't able to find any other breeders who would share an apartment with her. * Attention Bryony * in case you are reading this and wondering why that breeder brought her kids and I wouldn't bring you - Holly's kids work hard helping her. They actually do the following: scoop poop, feed the dogs, groom the dogs, take pictures as needed, mend fences, train the dogs, and do chore *without whining or coaxing* every single day.

It is so nice here. I think I'll just stay here. Why do I live in Indiana when there are nice warm-all-the-time places to live?

Doodle Breeders convention 2007

I'm in Florida now. Ha Ha Ha ha ha. I'm at a Doodle Breeders convention. There are about twice the number of many breeders here this year as last year. The weather is perfect and I'm having a great time. I'm rooming with Renee of Yesteryear Acres (my Lazy River Rafting Buddy from last year), and Helene of Westwood Labradoodles (Bear's breeder). We are sharing a 3 bedroom apartment at the Reunion Resort. It is so nice. There are no kids, no dogs, no husbands, no work...just sun and peace and quiet. I don't think I'll ever go back home.

Helene and I are rebels already. We were supposed to have some sort of dinner event this evening. The 3 of us (Renee, Helene, and I) went and mingled and talked to everybody. That was a blast! I loved seeing everybody in person. It was fascinating seeing who comes across as snobs in person. Anyway, after 45 minutes no one had so much as taken our drink order yet. I was tired and hungry and ready to be done rubbing elbows with the highbrows, and suggested to those two that we leave and go to McDonalds. Renee wanted to stay and Peggy (of Seaspray Labradoodles) offered to give her ride back to the room when they were done. So Helene and I skipped out, went to McDonalds (our combined total came to $11), the grocery store (we have a full kitchen), and the liquor store), then went back to the apartment and hung out and waited for Renee to come back and report everything we missed. Turns out we missed a yummy $45 each steak dinner, and some not nice comments from snobby holier-than-thou breeders. Did you know there are some breeders who breed only Australian Multigen Labradoodles who think only they could possibly be Premium breeders and those who breed the early gens are low-lives not worthy of sharing their air space? O.k., perhaps that is a slight exaggeration, but some of them are rude about it for real. It shows on some of their websites. On the other side of that, there are some F1 breeders who are totally about the hybrid vigor and think those who breed beyond F1 are doing the world a terrible injustice. There were some F1 breeders here (Renee breeds F1 and beyond), but none of them are snobs. I would absolutely loooove to tell you who the rude ones were tonight, but that wouldn't be professional of me so I won't.

Velvet is puppyish

Velvet has been frisky and getting the zippy zoomies for the last several days. I've been having to take her outside at work more often just to let her run circles around the yard. A couple of times the last couple of days she has even zipped up and down the halls at work a couple of times. Even like this, she is still very well behaved. This is just odd behaviour for her. Thank goodness she hasn't run when/where there have been residents. That would be terrible if she knocked into one of the folks. Anyway, I wonder what is up. I've gone back to feeding Velvet and Rosie all raw food. Maybe that is agreeing with them very well.

Velvet had the zoomies for a few minutes at work again today. One of the residents and I took her outside for a couple of minutes and watched her run laps around the gazebo. She looks so puppyish when she does that. It only took a few minutes until she was back to normal. What a goofy girl.

I've heard from several of Mera/Meeko's puppies the last few days. They are going through coat change now.

http://www.blogforayear.com/profiles/jane-s?tip=6

Ah Ha!

I had an "Ah ha!" moment at 5:00 this morning when I was lying in bed not sleeping. For the last two nights Velvet has kept me awake. She does one single bark-woof about every 1 to 1 1/2 hours all during the night. When I got up to take her outside, she just would take a couple of steps and just look intently in the fields by our house. She doesn't seem to want anything, doesn't need to go out, has food and water, she just wants to go outside and look. Hmmm, the friskiness, the zoomies, the wanting to go out during the night...then it dawned on me....that is exactly the way she acted when she was in heat. It is that time of year for her too. She has gone through this for a few days about every six months even after getting spayed. This is bizarre.

Name that Theme

The puppies have their temporary names and they got their microchips today. It is so much easier doing it early. Here they are, now see if you can Name That Theme:

Ben


Adam


Hoss (I'm holding his head up so you can see the white on his neck and front)


Joe


Ponderosa


Everybody, go here http://www.blogforayear.com/profiles/jane-s?tip=6 everyday and vote for me everyday. I want to be a paid blogger.

Rosie and the puppies are doing super well. She has a spring back in her step already and is not even dripping blood. The puppies are getting bigger by the hour and haven't needed any help at all. I removed their dew claws, but not sure if I got deep enough. If I didn't go deep enough they will grow back.

No more puppies

I confess, I was secretly hoping Rosie would pop a surprise puppy out for me. I was holding out hope for a girl. Man, I really really wanted to keep a girl out of this litter to breed. Although the contract I have with Rosie's guardian family stipulates I can breed her for one more litter, I'd like to go ahead and spay her. Now I'm torn. What to do, what to do... Rosie comes from great lines, carries a deep red, and has great hips. Francie is the only girl I have from her since I was planning on keeping a girl from this litter. Francie hasn't gotten pregnant and what if she can't. Red is really "in". I'll have to think this over for the next four weeks.

Puppies

The puppies have started coming. Rosie/Mars have one red boy so far. I better get back in there with her. She has been practically sitting on my lap.

3 boys so far.

4 red boys so far. Come on everybody, chant with me...red girls...red girls...red girls...

5 red boys. I think she is finished.
Rosie had five puppies in the early hours this morning; all red boys.

Just look at these sweet little faces

All is well.

Jane S
http://www.lincolnmanor.com

Oh Crap!

Francie is not pregnant! Man! I really needed this litter. What am I going to do? I could just puke about his. Rick came over last night and helped me set up a budget and look at my bills. I had no idea what kind of financial position I was (am) in. I am a full paycheck short of being able to pay my bills each month. That doesn't even include saving anything or taking care of unexpected expenses. This means I either have to get a second job, or quit my current job and get one that pays a lot more, or move in with Rick. Crap, now what?

Seriously, Rosie is in labor right now. She is on the chair and is very restless. She is panting and has the tremors, and her temperature has dropped two degrees. She should have them tonight.

Rosie is in labor

Rosie started looking like she was in labor this morning when I was getting ready for work. I called Teri to have her come check on her every couple of hours or so and let me know.

We had an all-staff meeting at work this afternoon. There must have been at least 40 people there in the dining room. Just as the meeting started and it was quiet, my cell phone rang. My cell phone never rings. It was Teri so I had to run out of the meeting to answer it (good thing I'm a boss). She was just letting me know Rosie is fine and no puppies yet. O.k., just as I got settled back in my spot at the meeting I noticed Velvet was roaming around the dining room looking for me. I tried to very discretely get her attention. That wasn't easy to do and I didn't do a very good job of it. Now that I had sufficiently disrupted the meeting and most eyes were on me and Velvet and not on the speaker, Velvet picks that very moment to go into the kitchen for the very first time ever. I could hear plenty of gasps and giggles as I had to bolt from my spot again and run to retrieve Velvet from the one place in the building in which she is not allowed. Have I mentioned that I am supposed to be a professional and a leader there? Velvet and I left the meeting and hid in my office. I didn't even get in trouble.

No puppies today.

20th Anniversary

Today is our 20th wedding anniversary. We went out to lunch and had a nice time.

Lacey went home today. She is all done with her cycle.

The old cat boys went to their new home today. Of course they went together. I wouldn't even consider splitting them up. It is so sweet. The couple that came to get them said everybody wants kittens, but they want to give the older cats a chance. Now all the kitties have their forever families.

Rosie came back this evening. She is here until after she weans her puppies.

The little kitty boy went to his forever home at 10:00 pm this evening. He went to an 8th grade girl. She seemed thrilled with him. Awww, *sniff* that was the little kitty that didn't have good odds at surviving. Now he is all grown (well, not all grown) and healthy and has his own family.

Today the ad for the kitties came out in the newspaper. It is really time to find homes for them.

Yea! A gross poopy story!

Seriously guys, this is super gross so don't read it if you have a weak stomach.

As usual, Velvet was following me around at work today. As we walked by one of the rooms, a lady was standing in it and called out "hey! hey!". When we stopped and turned toward her she asked "Hey, what's that?" She pointed to something on the floor. As I was walking into her room I quickly noticed a brown puddle on her bed, her pants had a brown stain, and there was a rather unpleasant odor in the room. Um, it really didn't take a close inspection to know what was on the floor. As she was at this time, this lady is typically confused. I couldn't just suggest to her that she go to the bathroom and change her pants. I had to take her by the hands, coax her to follow me to the bathroom, and help her. I was trying to go fast so I could clean the floor of her room before any visitor would happen to walk by and see it. As soon as I could, I slipped out of the bathroom to clean the floor. ooooo, noooo, there was nothing on the floor when I got there. As much as I would love to give my co-workers the benefit of the doubt, I know none of them would have slipped in and cleaned it and slipped back out. Velvet was standing there looking happy. Ooooo nooo, errp, gag, coff, puke! She had poopy breath! Thank goodness, just then one of the nursing assistants came in to take over for me. I hurried Velvet over to make rounds of the different office people who keep treats for her. I wanted to get that taste out of her mouth. First stop was the office manager who gave her a leftover muffin. Next we went to the social workers office. One of them gave her some doggie treats. The other offered breath mints. Velvet would eat them, so I put them in her mouth and held her mouth shut. Ugh! It still didn't help. Later on I ate lunch in the office with the other RNs. For some reason, nobody wanted Velvet sitting by them as they ate.

Teri (my sister) took the kitty girl home with her. She has been planning on taking her but left her with us for awhile to keep her kitty brother company. Teri decided she had waited long enough and took her today.

Poor Kingston, Poor Lacey

Lacey is in heat and hanging out here with us so she and DaVinci don't do it. Kingston is our little 11 pound fully grown and tested F1B stud boy. He hasn't had a job yet, so I figured "what the heck", and invited him over today. If he would get Lacey pregnant they would have all chocolate little puppies. It was kind of funny and sad at the same time, watching them. He comes up to about her knees. I think Lacey felt ripped-off. She acted a little excited but confused. She would dance around a little and sniff him, then look at me like "No way, what is this? Where is my man? I want a real stud, not some little toy". Kingston would make a little half-hearted attempt to do her knee, then dance around a little more. His guardian mom (who is my friend Connie) and I backed Lacey up to the coffee table which was just the right height for him to stand on to reach her. Then I made a little attempt to help them mate. I guess I didn't want this litter badly enough to do what it takes to ... um... help him as much as he needed. So we let them loose to play in the back yard for a bit, then Kingston and Connie left. No puppies for Lacey this time around.

Rosie went home this evening.

Dave Thomas Celebrity Cook-Off

Guess who cooked our supper tonight? Jeff Burris, former Colts football player, and Ryan Thompson, former NY Yankee #33. Ooh laa laa, nice eye candy. I was invited to the Children's Bureau silent auction and celebrity cook off this evening. It was held at Benihana's, a Japanese restaurant with hibachi grills. I got Ryan's chef hat, apron, and name tag (all are autographed). It was so much fun. Anyway, what does this have to do with doodles? bunches. I donated a future pup to the auction. Since Jill is adopted, this charity is dear to our heart.

Three of my guardian families came to my rescue today. Thanks so much Aly, Liz, and Tiffany. I've known for weeks this event was coming up, but did I do anything about it? Noooo, of course not. I waited not a week before, not even a day before, but a mere hours before I had to be there to find doodles to take. Well, actually, I did try to find some puppies to take. The person I contacted never called me back and I just kept waiting hoping she would. I also had already made the arrangements to take Rosie since it was going to more than likely be one of her pups that would be donated. Now wait a minute, wait a minute. I need to stop and explain what I'm talking about. Dang, I've already written so much. Hang on while I erase it. There. I'll start a new paragraph and tell you what is going on.

So, The Children's Bureau has this annual fundraiser for their adoption program. Since Jill is adopted and this is very dear to my heart, I agreed to donate a pup...with stipulations. I would not bring a puppy to be auctioned off. The puppy is not to be a surprise gift for someone else. The high bidder is to fill out an application and be matched up with a future puppy to ensure getting the right puppy. The pups are not even born yet so that will give the high bidder plenty of time to prepare for a puppy. The bidder gets a choice of litters so the timing will be right for his/her family. Since Rosie and Francie are pregnant I wanted to take them to show people the moms. I also wanted to take Honey to show what a light color wool looks like. I also thought she might be the size of Rosie and Francie's pups as adults. Turns out she is just a little bigger than I thought. Still, she is awfully cute. Now back to the story:

So, Honey's guardian mom was so sweet any brought her to the gas station that was right on my way to the event. She had Honey all clean and brushed and even had bows on her ears. She is adorable (Honey). Francie's guardian mom and guardian grandmom came above and beyond to the rescue. They not only brought Francie, they went in and helped me. They stood there hanging on to the leashes and helped me talk to people. I was so not expecting that. Poor Francie was miserable. She is the equivalent of being about three or four months pregnant. She has morning sickness and just was not on top of the world like doods usually are. I ended up sending them all home. Rosie and Honey and I stayed there and worked the crowd. Honey's guardian family came and picked her up right it was time for Rick (he came to join me for dinner) and I to go inside and eat. Some of the event volunteers watched Rosie for us. It was a great time. Rick took pictures with his phone camera but I don't know how to get it to here.

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Velvet is happy. She got to go to work and Rosie and Lacey had to stay home.

Poor Velvet, she had to stay home with Rosie and Lacey today. She got excited when she saw me come out of the bedroom wearing my work uniform and ran for the door so excited-like. Although she didn't protest when I didn't let her out the door with me, she wasn't thrilled. She needed a day off work. She will go with me tomorrow.

Velvet went to work with me today. She just loves going to work. She get so much attention. Bryony and her friend spent the day here while I was at work. They played with the cats and with Rosie and Lacey.

Feeding frenzy

Wow, one would think poor Lacey and Rosie hadn't eaten in two weeks. I got a chicken out of the fridge and cut it up to give to Velvet and the baby kittens. Lacey and Rosie just went nuts jumping around and sniffing the air and hanging around by my elbows watching my every move. They acted so excited and just couldn't wait to get some of that yummy raw chicken. Well, uh, I spoke with Rosie's guardian mom specifically about this and told her I wouldn't give Rosie any. Well..uh..ehhum..*coff*sorry Linda*coff. How could I say no to that poor pitiful face? I just gave Lacey and Rosie each one little 'ole chicken leg quarter each. They loved them and did great. The baby kitties ate the wings and did well. Even one of the big boy cats came over and acted not totally disgusted. That is a start for him. Velvet got the rest of the chicken. That was a lot of chicken for her. She probably won't eat for another two days now.

Rosie is back

Rosie is here while her family goes on vacation. She came as soon as I got off work at 9:00pm this evening. She is looking great...and pregnant. I had it in my head that she is due Oct 15th, but realize she is due Oct 23rd. Anytime between Oct 17-23 would be considered term. Chant with me everybody...tiny red girls...tiny red girls...tiny red girls.

I will more than likely be spaying Rosie after this litter. According to the contract we can breed her one more time, but I probably won't. I'll probably keep a girl out of this litter to carry on in Rosie's place.

You know who we never hear from? Ruby. See, you don't even know who Ruby is do you? She is the female we kept from Mera and Da Vinci's first litter. She is cream with a liver nose and is small. She is fully health tested and has great hips. She is over two years old and according to her guardian mom hasn't had her first cycle yet. riiiiight

Lacey is back

Man, can you believe it? Lacey is in heat again already. She is such a horn-dog. The last of her puppies from her most recent litter went home only last week. She lives with DaVinci, her stud husband. They do not need to be getting together again so soon so Lacey came here today to ride out the storm of her cycle. Maybe I will call Kingston and let him come over and play. hmmmmm, they would have all chocolate mini babies...hmmmm...

The kitties played sailcat last night. I was sleeping and the 2 babies kept playing with my hair and digging their tiny claws in my scalp. I barely woke up and in that groggy-not-thinking-clearly state thought something like "I'm too tired to get up and put them in the bathroom. I'll let them play with my hair, it will feel good when they scratch my head". Uh, no. Don't be fooled by tiny kitty claws. They are sharp. It took about 4 tosses off the bed before they got the hint and left my face and head alone.

Kitties are back

So the other day I called Rick (my husband) and practically begged him to come and get the kittens and find homes for them. Bless his heart, the next day he came and took them to his friend's house. Well, over the next couple of days I was able to piece together the following information:

1) he didn't really want the kittens
2) he only took them as a favor to Rick
3) he was going to turn them loose in the fields and have them become wild
4) he had no intention of keeping vaccinated
5) he had no intention of spaying the female

Woa! Hold the phone there Nellie! No way, nunhunh, not gonna let this one go. Not gonna let that kitty girl grow up and have litter after litter of wild kitties who will grow up and have their own litter after litter of wild kitties. We have put too much time and love in these kitties for them to be happy being neglected wild kitties. They love attention and affection. Well, after several calls to Rick, he went and got the kitties back for me. He was not a camper about it. Actually I think he was embarrassed to ask his friend for them back. Sorry about that...but...

Anyway, he and Bry brought them back for me. They didn't stick around and back to their house. I packed up one of the kitty boys, this oneand took him right away to a nurse at my work. She wanted one and was so excited to get him. One down, two to go.

Anybody want a cat?

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Bear went home this evening. Wow, now we only have Velvet and the 2 big boy old boy cats. We are normal.

The big boy cats moved into my bedroom and master bath today. They really like it there.

No more kittens

The kittens went home today. Wow, no puppies and no kittens, only Velvet Bear and the big boy cats. I feel like a normal family.

and then there were none

Avery flew to his new home today. He lives in New Jersey. After all this time and this many puppies, I still feel really badly at the airport the moment I give 'em a kiss and hug, tell them to have a good life, put 'em in the crate, look at 'em one last time, turn and walk away. Avery is one that I will miss a little more because he was the last to go and stayed around a long time.

Rosie is in a family way

Rosie is pregnant with Mars babies. She had a ultrasound today and the vet saw 6 or maybe 7 puppies. Not bad at all for shipped chilled semen and only one time at that. She is due to have her puppies Oct 15th.

Honey went home this evening. She was such a good girl. Bear is going to miss having her to hang out with when Velvet is at work. Avery is going to miss having her to play with in the evenings.

I really worked today

Velvet and the others were grounded today. I left them home today and actually got some work done at work today. The residents and staff were disappointed that I didn't bring Velvet. Oh well, there was no way I was bringing anybody today.

Too much

This was just over the top. Honey, one of my breeding girls in a guardian home, came today to spend a few days with us while her family is on vacation. Her mom is Josie and her dad is Da Vinci. She is so pretty, just perfect. She has a sweet disposition and I decided it would be great to take her with me to work today. My plan was to keep Velvet with me as usual and to have Honey and Avery play outside in the enclosed area so the residents could look out their windows and watch them romp and play and have a good time. I also wanted to introduce Honey to the place so maybe I could bring her with me sometimes instead of Velvet to give Velvet a break. Well, that all sounded like a great plan. What is the problem you ask? I'll tell you. Avery was small enough and kept squeezing outside of the fence. No way, I couldn't take the chance of him wondering away or getting hit by a car so I had to bring him inside. I left Velvet outside with Honey to keep her company. Avery didn't do too badly for a little puppy. He didn't stick with me like Velvet does thought. Ugh, before too long Velvet started barking to come inside. So I brought her in, but had to bring Honey inside too because I knew she would bark. So, there I was at work with three dogs with me. It was insane. They were insane. Honey was happy a lark, and looney as one too. She was running and bounding up and down the halls and had Avery and Velvet bouncing off the walls too. Good thing I was boss. But still, I would have fired myself if I coulda. During supper, Avery actually wondered into the kitchen. I don't think the kitchen girls thought he was cute like the residents did. Really though, he was only just inside the kitchen door and only for less than a minute. Shooey, I was so glad when this work day was over.

Avery went to the vet for a thorough vet check and health certificate for his flight home. The vet deemed him very healthy. The other kitten boy got neutered today.

Avery was selected by a family in NJ. He will go home in a week or two.

Just more of the same: taking Velvet to work with me, coming home, eating, having short training sessions with Avery, Bear, and Velvet, and doing whatever else needs to be done.

Velvet and I had to be a work bright and early this morning. yee haw
She loves going to work and the staff and residents love having her.

Bear and Velvet went to the doggie eye doctor for their annual check up today. Yes yes, I know Velvet has been spayed and doesn't have to be tested anymore. She is the foundation of my breeding program though and I want to keep close track of her health. I want to know exactly what goes wrong and when. So far...knock on wood...so good. The Opthamologist said her eyes are perfect. Bear also got a perfect score.

One of the baby kitty boys got neutered today.

It is all about Avery

It is like I have my very own puppy now. Avery is getting all the attention. I'm working on potty training and very basic obedience training and leash walking. He sleeps in his crate for about 6 hours a night before waking up.

...and then there was one

Poor poor Avery, he is all alone, so very alone. Frank went home today leaving Avery as the last puppy. This happens almost every time, one of the cutest puppies is the last to go. He was one of the first to be picked and put on hold. Then when the family came to get him, they decided to get a chocolate one instead. That is understandable. He was passed up a couple of times because the families wanted a straighter coated Doodle. He was on hold once and when the family came they picked the pup with the longer and less hairy nose. I was secretely happy about that one. People typically don't like the long smooth noses. Usually they prefer the shorter full-furry ones. He was never passed up because there was some wrong with him. It was always because one of the other pups struck the fancy of someone in the family. For now, I get to have and enjoy Avery all to myself.

This was a lazy morning. I went back to bed and was there at 9:00a.m. (highly unusual for me) when Velvet gave out one bark. Of course I got right up. She went over to the front door and just stood there looking at it then looking at me. She seemed to be saying "It has been three days now, it is 9:00 and time to go to work". Yesterday was my day off, and the day before was the wound care seminar, so she thinks it is high time to go to work.

Francie's progesterone

Francie had her Progesterone level checked today. Her guardian grandma is so wonderful. She took Francie to the vet and then delivered the blood sample to Indianapolis to the lab so we would be sure and get the results today. She is at 2.7. We will be doing the AI 3 and 5 days after her level goes over 5. She will have it checked again on Monday.

Poor Velvet

Poor Velvet didn't get to go to work with me today. I had to (got to, actually I was looking forward to this) go to a wound care seminar. I love wound care. Unlike the usual nursing home work, wound care is something concrete and usually fixable.

Francie

Francie is also going to be bred via Artificial Insemination. Her long distance husband lives in California too. This breeding is going to cost $3,050. That includes the stud fee, collection and shipping of the semen, progesterone testing, the actual AI, and the shot to make her ovulate. The ultrasounds and x-ray will come later and will add to that cost. I am excited to see how these puppies turn out. She Better get pregnant.

Rosie and Francie

Rosie is an F1 Labradoodle. She has a wonderful coat and does not look like the typical F1. This will be her 3rd litter. Her first litter was with an standard Poodle. Her second litter was with a standard F1 Goldendoodle for a litter of North American Retrievers. This litter will be with a mini Poodle.
Rosie

Francie is an F1B Labradoodle. Her mom is Rosie and her dad is a standard Poodle. This will be her first litter. She is going to be bred with a mini F1B Labradoodle for a litter of F3 Labradoodles.
Francie

Francie's period

Francie's guardian mom called to let me know "Francie got her period". *giggle

My Daddy's birthday

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Here are some pictures with Nikki, Velvet, and Eldin.


Now there are only two puppies left, Frank and Avery.

Nikki and the slumber party

Nikki is from Mera and Da Vinci's first litter together. Here she was as a baby Here she is now
Pretty cool eh? Frequently people ask "will the puppies retain their jet black color?" My answer is "I don't have any way of knowing for sure". I thought Nikki was going to look like Mera and have chocolate highlight with silver sprinklings. I had no idea she was going to turn that color. She is pretty and her family really likes her looks. In fact, they were hoping to get Phil. He has a white patch on his chest like Nikki did. They would kind of like for the puppy they are getting now to turn out like Nikki.

Nikki and her family drove all the way here from WI to see the puppies and see if there was one for them. They wanted to make sure Nikki liked one before committing. Of course Nikki liked them. She is a doodle. Doodles like everybody. They had tentatively planned on getting Avery. While they do like Avery and he and Nikki had a great time together, they were drawn to Eldin. Eldin has a longer nose and not as much hair on his face. They like that.
Eldin

Avery


Nikki got to spend the night here while the rest of the family spent the night in a hotel. It was so cool having her here. It felt like Mera was here (I miss Mera). Nikki is way bigger than I thought she'd be. She is almost as tall as Mera. She was nice and quiet and stayed right there by my side.

My sister's birthday

Happy Birthday Teri!

Phil goes home

Phil flew to his new home today. He went to a family that got a Zion/Noodles pup from me a couple years ago. Their pup got in to something a month or so ago and died all of a sudden. Very tragic. Their neighbor and friend got the pup I flew with to Manchester on the 8th. Now these two puppies can play together and grow up together.

Velvet and the kittens

The kittens are doing great. They are getting bigger and more playful all the time. Velvet is such a good sport with them too.



Anybody want a kitten? How about this for a sales campaign: Free cat with every puppy

I'll need to be careful where these kittens go. They are so used to Velvet that they don't know enough to be afraid of dogs.

AHHH, still no power and no computer

At 5:00 a.m. I woke up to complete silence. The generator was out. I couldn't get it fixed and had to end up just leaving it and going to work. Rick came over later and fixed it for me. sigh, I'm trying so hard not to be a helpless female.

The generator is a big help, but I still couldn't use the computer or phone. It is driving me crazy. I'm sneaking in on the computer here at work right now and I am going to get in trouble for it, but needed to somehow let people know. I have no email acess and no telephone. I was in negotiations with a couple of families for puppies but can't get in touch with them. That is what I get for putting all my numbers in my computer data base. I do have a cell phone, but I don't know what those people's numbers are. I was also emailing back and forth with my Lazy River Buddy trying to figure out how I can skip work and go again this year. Ack! They are all going to think I up and skipped town. Well, since I'm on the computer, I might get fired then I can go. Hmmm

Likely won't have power again until Tuesday. I'm gonna have to throw out everything in my fridge.

The power came back on late this afternoon. Yeah, we didn't have to wait until Tuesday. Now I can arrange the transportation for one of the puppies. He is going to be neighbors and best friends with his littermate.

Exchange

This morning I tried to go in to work at 1:00 a.m. in order to be back home for the Rosie exchange at 10:00 a.m. I just could not drag myself out of the house quite early enough. It was closer to 1:30 before I got to work. That meant I wouldn't be able to get home until 10:00. I called my sister and she came down here to wait. Do you even have any idea what I'm talking about? No? I didn't think I explained it. Rosie's guardian family is super busy this week so she (Rosie) needed to stay with me for a few days. Since Bear is stiiilllll here Rosie couldn't stay here. There is an acquaintance of mine who is interested in breeding doodles but she would like some extra guidance. Rosie is going to have and raise her puppies at her house and I'm going to go over and do the stuff that needs to be done (de worming, shots, microchips, etc) and show her. So, Rosie stayed there the past few days to get to know them a little bit. She brought Rosie back here and then Rosie's guardian mom picked her up here.

We still don't have power. After work and after the Rosie exchange I broke down and bought a generator. I've been wanting one for years. We have frequent power outages in our neighborhood. At least once a year we are without power for more than a day. I bought a used one and was so proud of myself. I couldn't get it figured out and had to end up calling Rick to come and help me. He got it working in one pull (of course) and we got the 'fridge and freezer and a lamp plugged in.

Storm

A storm knocked our power out early this evening. Not too long ago I switched phone service. Now I have cable, internet, and phone all with one company. I can't tell the difference with my phone, it is the same only less expensive. Ahh, but now I see a drawback. No electricity means no phone service. Our power goes out frequently here so I have one corded phone so we would always be able to use that during a power outage. Now it doesn't work with this type of phone.

AI for Rosie

Rosie's guardian mom dropped her off at the vet this morning. The poor guardian mom, this is a really busy-hectic week for them and having to deal with all this extra running around didn't help. They are such great sports though and I really appreciate it. Anyway, Rosie got to hang out at the vet until her special delivery arrived. The vet gave her a shot to induce ovulation and then inseminated her with Mar's stuff. I remember way back when, when we did this for Velvet. At that time I was under the impression Velvet was not too happy about not have the real thing; like she felt gypped or something. Rosie did not give me the impression of feeling that way today.

I was really nervous about bring Rosie back to my house today. Bear is still here. I was so afraid they would go crazy trying to get at each other. Not so. Well, not totally anyway. Bear wanted Rosie in a bad way. Rosie, on the other hand, was mildly interested but not overly so. She was only here for an hour or so before I took to her to a friend's house to spend a few days.

The package is in the mail

It is not everyday that I can honestly say "There is a package of semen in the mail on the way to me". Technically I can't honestly say that today either, bummer. The package is going to the vet's office, not my house. Mars' breeder called to let me know Mars was collected from and there here lots of good healthy swimmers and it all looks great. The collection person then properly packaged it up and is sending it express for next morning delivery.

This is all very exciting.

More testing for Rosie

Rosie went back to the vet today for another progesterone level check. Now we know Wednesday will be the day she needs bred. I contacted Gen of Sierra Vista and she will take Mars in tomorrow to be collected from.

Rosie is cycling now. Today she went to the vet for a Progesterone test. The results of that test will tell us where she is in her cycle. Since we will be doing AI (artificial insemination) with shipped chilled semen, we have to know exactly when to breed her. Rosie is an F1 Labradoodle and the stud we are using is Mars, a mini Poodle. He lives in California and is part of Sierra Vista's program. Bryony and I got to meet him when we went out there several years ago. He was just 8 weeks old and sooo cute.

Speaking of being all grown up...

My little Jill started Kindergarten today.
Just waiting for the bus, how exciting!
oooo, there it is. It is so big.
Such a big girl.

BitterSweet

Whaaaaaaaa nooooo, say it isn't so. Liuda called today. She is going to be quitting. She is...um....in a family way. That is so exciting and I'm thrilled for them. They are going to make wonderful parents. I feel so motherly towards her, like I watched her grow up. When she first started working for me she had only been in this country a few months. She spoke broken English and didn't know our customs or holidays. Now here she is, speaking very well, understanding and celebrating our holidays, married and starting her own family. *sniff* I'm so proud of her. ....but...but...I'm going to miss her more than I miss...oh wait, I better not finish that sentence. That wouldn't be very nice.

The puppies are flying out the door today!

Man, what an uncomfortably busy day today was. This was supposed to have been my day off, but I ended up going in to make rounds with the Psychiatrist and working with him. I didn't get home until 1:30 or so. I had to hurry home and get puppies ready to go home. Three families came one at a time and overlapped each a bit. The last one left after 9:00 pm. Corky went home. She moved in with the Late Baby JR's (AKA Riley) mom. She is going to have great fun there. Miles and Jim went to their new homes too.

Lacey and Da Vinci's puppies are 8 weeks old

Lacey's puppies are 8 weeks old today. *sniff, they are all grown up and ready to fly the coop now. Uh oh, does that mean I let one go home one day early? Oops, Sshhhh, don't tell anybody.

First Class Puppy

This morning I got up at 2:00 AM and left for the airport at 3:00 a.m. As I was checking in at the terminal I decided to go ahead and upgrade to first class for the first leg of the trip. Why not? I've never flown first class before and thought I'd treat myself. Well, did I mention that I accidentally forgot to report to anyone that I was bringing a puppy on board? I really should have waited until they called for last call to board before getting on. That way Miles (the puppy) could have some extra time running around in the bathroom (that is a pretty good place for pups to get out and get some exercise in an airport). But...what good is to fly first class if the others don't get to see me being the first on, and if I can't sit there in the big comfy seat sipping on juice while the commoners are boarding? So, silly me, I am the first one on. We ended up in the very front row. The front row is not the best spot to sit when attempting to smuggle a happy wide awake puppy. Usually I carry the pups in a special pet back pack that is pretty big. Thank goodness I bought a new pet bag that is smaller and looks more purse-like. I was sitting there with one hand discretely stuck in the bag to try to keep the pup quiet, and pretending to calmly read my book that I really I have open just to try to hide my wiggly bag. Can you imagine what my heart rate was when I heard the pilot say "I hear puppy noises. What is making those puppy noises?" Asking the stewardess: "Is there a puppy on board?" The stewardess came out, looked around, and went back in the cockpit and said "There isn't any puppy out here". I should get an Emmy for my cool performance. I was so glad once the plane started moving. Even if they figured out Miles was there, they could stop the plane and make up get out on a cloud. Just before take off I put my bag behind my legs under the seat. Believe it or not Miles settled down and was calm the rest of the way. Well, except for when he was managed to push open the bag with his nose and try to climb out. I sat most of the way sitting forward with my elbow on my knee, holding the book on my lap and discretely danging my other hand down to keep checking on the pup. Whew! We made it to DC undetected. As far as flying first class...hmmm, that was an expensive glass of orange juice. I think I'll stick with the commoners next time. The next leg we were sitting in the very back row by the window. That was a perfect spot. There was a young mom holding a 10 month baby beside me and two unaccompanied children sitting in front of us. Perfect. Miles sat part of the way on my lap and the rest of the way in the bag under the seat in front of us. He was a perfect gentleman. I do want to mention that this airline does allow small pets in the cabin. It just makes the trip ever so much more exciting to "sneak" him on.

Miles new family was so excited and thrilled that they hugged me and gave me a kiss. Aww, how nice. His new mom is also a nurse and is also planning on training him to go to work with her.

The return was delayed so they changed my flight, then they changed it back, then that flight was canceled so they changed it again. After hours of waiting, I flew to DC (was in the front row but not first class), had to run to find the shuttle that took me to the next plane, ran to the plane, and just made it before they closed the door. Whew! I was in the front row but not first class on this flight too. Finally made it home just before midnight.

Velvet is still going to work with me every day. She is really tired today. Yesterday we worked the day shift, got off work, zipped over to pick up Corky and Phil, picked Jill up from school, ran home made the arrangements to send Miles to NH, did other puppy stuff, then went back to work and worked 10:00 pm last night until 7:30 this morning. I really thought Velvet would just sleep at the nurse station. Poor thing, she did doze a little, but she followed me around most of the time. She sure slept the rest of the day.

When we got off work, I took a nap for a couple of hours, then got up and got Miles ready to go home. I just can't ship him. It is supposed to get up to 100 degrees tomorrow. There are a couple of early morning flights that he can go on before the weather gets too hot. ...but...what if a flight is delayed...what if a cargo guy is having a bad day.... No, I just can't take that chance. I'm going to fly to NH tomorrow and take him in the cabin of the plane with me. I'll have to leave really early in the morning.

Today was Corkyand Phil'sturn to have surgery. They did really well of course.