Dare I Say It? An Up-Turn? Not Everything, However...

Well, this entry is a bit more positive (should probably knock on wood so I don't jinx myself...hold on).

We ended up having to have my Jeep towed for repair because anything we could test wasn't what was wrong. I finally got it back today (after watching my nephew all day); it was actually done yesterday, but the time it was done we wouldn't have been able to pick it up anyways. I didn't get it until after watching my nephew because I only had a check from my folks to pay for it...they don't take checks. So anyways, it feels good to have my own wheels back! Turns out it was the crank sensor which needed replacing, which really isn't bad...neither my pops nor I knew there was even such a sensor (seems sort of superfluous to us both -- and that is my big word for the day). But, she's fixed and back in my possession!

Beginning tomorrow I will officially be making a steady paycheck again! This is good, because people can't be bothered to fucking pay me back so my money's running ridiculously low...pretty soon I'm going to have to find a loan shark hat and get the money I'm fucking owed. Anyways...apparently Petsmart pays weekly, so my first paycheck is next Thursday or Friday and I cannot wait! Money! Then I just have to get a bit saved up so everything else can work out. A family vacation to the Outerbanks has been planned for a while later in August and, as of yet, I don't know if I'll make it or not...I guess we'll see.

Lately I've been battling with a lot of heartburn, which is annoying...I'm going to go ahead and blame that on stress.

Right now Jin's licking her foot too much and it's bothering me...she sniffs it and nibbles at it too, then licks it some more. I don't know if it's bothering her or what, but I don't like it...reminds me that once things are back to "normal" I want to put her on some supplements to keep her joints healthy: I don't want my baby breaking down on me. That 15% discount will help, I imagine.

So, even though I'm focusing my pursuit on Sydney I've still been keeping tabs on the dogs that I was looking at before. Some have been adopted, some are still up for adoption...for some reason I feel I should specifically mention the two that were at the high-kill shelter in North Carolina. The GSD-Aussie-mix was adopted (YAY!!); the Lab-mix, sadly, was not...Fayden was euthanized at the shelter. It's saddening, really, even knowing that it happens every day. Something about him spoke to me, and I feel it'd be a disservice to not mention this...I don't know why, perhaps because every dog needs someone who cares about what happens to them. I'll step up and be that person for Fayden (and any of the dogs, really): hope you're worry-free and having fun at the Rainbow Bridge little guy! You and all of the shelter dogs who never made it out of the shelter system alive! Run free.

Shit Happens...Way Too Often

You know, it's really frustrating, to say the least, trying to get things in order in life and make an actual rebound when shit keeps happening. There's something wrong with my Jeep again...the engine isn't turning over despite that it was working perfectly fine earlier today. Battery is fine (and it better be seeing as it's new), the alternator gauge seems to be reading low, but seeing as everything electric is working fine that's not why it isn't turning over. My pops can't figure out what it is either...my uncle's going to be here tomorrow so I can ask him to look at it, or if the guy he knows could look at it, but who knows how long this might take. What a great fucking time for something like this when I'm waiting for a call from Petsmart about employment...

Yet again it's seeming like, just as things are beginning to make a turn for the better, they're working on turning back. That they might fall apart, at least some things to some extent. I haven't even got a real break this time either.

My birthday's tomorrow. As of Friday, 23rd of June, I'll be twenty-two. Honestly, it doesn't feel like it at all...and honestly I don't know how I feel about it. I'm not even sure how this even compares to last year when I, probably, had swine flu and my birthday present was getting pink eye...in both eyes. After the year I've had, however, I would easily exchange another bout of swine flu in exchange for starting all over, even just to the first of January.

Hopefully this passes easily enough, but as of yet...well, we'll see.

Ponderings of a Southern Yorker

Today I've really been thinking about my second dog situation. I know, what's new, right? Well, I actually haven't been thinking about it too strongly of late -- certainly not to the degree I had been before.

It's not final or anything, but, it seems there is a good chance that I will be getting this guy once things are settled on my end and his final skin scrape comes back with good news. I've been smitten with him since his very start with Southpaws, before much was even known about him and when he was still thought to be an American Bulldog; turns out he's really a stunted, backyard bred Boxer. He was, in fact, the first dog I actually inquired about after the news that I could get a second dog, but at the time it was thought he was not a good candidate for what I was looking for. Then, earlier this month (I believe) I was thrown a fantastic curveball that he was maturing to quite probably be exactly what I'm looking for (I was still smitten with him and still following his progress), at which point I set aside any and all other dogs I was looking at to pursue him and get further information about him to be sure he really did meet everything. As he always has, he's sounded absolutely amazing with a strong possibility of being everything I want right now.

So, why have I been thinking about the situation more today? I've been reading different things in different places and, from there, thinking about just what I would like to do with him.

I was reading one thread and saw a bit of information about AKC PAL/IPL for unregisterable purebred dogs (so they can still compete in AKC events the same as a registered, but altered, dog would be able to); of course, being as I would like to put titles on my next dog, I decided to look into that and it definitely looks like something I would like to give a shot. Especially for only $35 as Syd does, indeed, look very much like a purebred Boxer (albeit definitely not from a responsible breeder: no way to argue that). That would allow me to still pursue a UDX if we can get that far, and, I dunno...I would just really like that number if I can get it. It's not an ego thing or anything, just with competition in mind.

Speaking of which...I was looking at the list of AKC sanctioned events that a dog with a PAL/IPL number can compete in, as well as what breeds can compete. I would most definitely like to compete in agility, obedience, and tracking; unfortunately, herding is restricted to herding breeds, Rottweilers, and Samoyeds. I would, however, still like to at least have him herding instinct tested and, if he shows aptitude, I'd like to pursue that regardless of whether I can do so through AKC or not. Really, any of this is whether I can get a PAL/IPL number on him or not. I would also like to get him CGC tested, methinks. Beyond that, I guess we'll see!