Goodbye 2013...

I can't believe 2013 is almost gone.  My first thought is that it flew by.  It feels like writing 2013 just became habit and now I'm going to have to relearn how to write 2014.  Honestly though, when I really think about it, it has been a long year.  I've done a lot this year...

• I worked on and moved into my house.
• I quit a job I hated.
• I visited Best Friends and learned a lot about myself.
• Visited Seattle for my brother's graduation and fell in love with it.
• Made the conscious decision not to move out of Colorado.
• Got a new job I do like.
• Survived another fire in Colorado.
• Lost Gerani-

              

• Went to the Ren Fest!
• Got my concealed carry.
• Started dating.
• Got to work with wolves/wolfdogs and bears.
• Got promoted to baker.
• Pub crawled it zombie style!
• Met Jake.
• Got a tattoo.
• Survived flooding in Colorado.
• Lost Jonas, the last of my CCI dogs.
• Reconnected with old friends, Sarah and Sean.
• Haunted house!
• Visited my bro in Seattle and fell in love with it again.
• Went to the APDT Conference.
• Had a month of being thankful.
• Visited family.
• Had a wonderful Christmas.

I don't know if that seems like a lot or not.  A year is a long time but it is also gone in the blink of an eye.  That is why my resolution for 2014 will be to write a page in a journal every day.  Just a page.  I should be able to handle that.  But by the end of the year, I'll have 365 pages to read and reflect on.

Now 2013 is going going...

When the bell tolls I'll be a party with friends playing board games and hopefully having a wonderful time.  Snuggling with Jake too.  

I hope everyone reflects well and has a great night!

Merry Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It has been a busy Christmas so far.  This morning I had two petsitting appointments, one in blasted Black Forest which I regret agreeing to.  Then walking rescue dogs so I didn't get to my parents house before 10am.  It's funny that as a kid you are up at 5am even if you are banned from leaving your room until 6am but as an adult you just aren't that excited to rush into the living room that early.

As kids, we would either all sleep downstairs in one room or we would meet in one room early in the morning.  My parents did lay down the law that we weren't allowed out of that room until a certain time, probably about 7am but I don't remember.  When it was time, we'd creep upstairs, being VERY careful not to peek into the living room to see the tree.  We would tap on my parents' door and wait for them to shuffle out.  They would go to the living room and wait for us.  We would line up, youngest to oldest, which at the time was also shortest to tallest, and we would file into the living room.  I'm sure the sparkles in our eyes when we saw the tree and presents was pretty cute.  I can remember just how excited and thrilling that was.  Then we all take our seats after much admiring of the presents and the tree so that we could do our stockings first.  The best thing in the stocking, besides candy, was the ornament that we would get every year.  Then it was a present opening mania.  Then breakfast.

As adults, we didn't get to the presents until almost noon.  We wanted breakfast first and some of us had to go get eggnog and what not.  It is less of a mania when we open presents and more orderly.  Whoever is near the tree hands out some presents until we go through them all.

I got Dad a bird book, mom a camera, Caitlin a funny shirt, Jak a nerf gun, Geoff a set or weights and Riley a shirt.  I always like giving gifts rather than receiving them.  I got cash, some stuff for my kitchen and an air conditioning unit.  Oh and Jake, the little shit, gave me a Keurig machine.  He kept saying that gifts made him uncomfortable so I got him this funny apron for when he bbqs.  I thought we were just doing something small without pressure.  Then he gets me a Keurig machine!  Haha made me feel like an ass gift giver.  It was cute how he did it.  He had me open one box with the coffee servings in it.  I was like "...thanks..." all the while thinking 'good God I don't have a Keurig.  What am I going to do with these?'  Haha then he tells me that the other big box is for me too.  And I was like, "No you didn't..."  But he did.  What a sweet guy!  Even if he wrapped it like this:

What a sweetie!  I tell you what, I've hit the jackpot with him.

Speaking of Jake, he should be here soon so I am going to go nap before he comes and we play games.  Yay for Christmas nap!

Merry Merry Christmas Eve!

Here it is, all the kids are excited tonight.  There are going to be a lot of them up tonight, vibrating with excitement in their beds.  Norad is tracking Santa and he should be here soon.

I must say Christmas Eve is a lot more exciting when you're a kid waiting for Santa.  Tonight I am going to be spending the evening with my man.  I plan on making him watch Love Actually while we wrap presents.  If I'm lucky there will be some snuggling involved too.

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope you are all warm, safe and with the people you love!

Back home but still on the rat wheel

The end to the crazy travel weekend.  This morning I was up and ready to go at 5:45am and my uncle drove me to the airport.  Flight at 8am and back to Dallas.  Then off to Colorado Springs and landed at 1:30 or something.  No problems with the flights.  I slept like the dead on them which is always lovely.

I wish that I had more time with everyone in Edwardsville.  Although I am glad to live away so that there is a certain amount of privacy and independence in growing up, I do sometimes wish that we were all closer.  I am a lot different from them, mostly in the fact that I am not at all religious, but there is something about family that bonds you together.  Lovely people and I miss them.  Love you all!

After landing, Jake picked me up and we had lunch before I had to be at work.  That's right, I had to work today.  Then after work I had to go to Black Forest for some petsitting.  It was probably a little dangerous for me to be driving back because I was falling asleep but I made it in one piece.

What an absolutely crazy day.  I am really too tired to talk about it much.  So goodnight.  Just know I made it home safe and sound all said and done.

The Hastings Clan Tradition

Another crazy day and it's not even over...

Started the day waking up to creepily silent house.  I got up and crept downstairs.  Normally when we stay with my aunt and uncle there is ALWAYS something going on.  It is rarely quiet.  I crept around... nothing.  No one.  I was actually starting to get worried that here I was creeping around the house finding some breakfast and coffee while everyone in the house had been murdered in their beds.  Yes, those thoughts to tend to go through my head.  Thanks crime shows.  With that happy thought in my head I crept over to the room where my brothers were sleeping and peeked in.  Neither of them moved but they were breathing.  So with the fact that my family hadn't been murdered in their beds, I enjoyed two cups of coffee in the quiet house.  Turns out everyone else was at church and they came back to cook breakfast.  Through no fault of my own I actually missed church completely.  I've sworn that I won't go back to mass because I don't believe in it but I was actually going to go. I just didn't understand the schedule and missed it.  Oops.

Anyway, we got all dressed up and made it to church to meet up with the whole crazy Hastings clan.  Let me tell you there are a shit ton of us.  Sometime when I have more time I'll count for you but for now just know there are a lot of us.  Usually it is like herding cats but we actually made it into some sort of organized group and got a family photo done.  I'm excited to see that.  I think it went fairly well but there is always someone not looking or not smiling.  It wasn't me!  It will be nice to have a picture of all of us.  Maybe the last one.  Missing my Uncle Don who just recently passed away though.

After the picture we all traipsed across the parking lot to the gym where we were going  to have the play.  Honestly the play has always been kind of a silly thing that we do because we love Grandma... or because we're all terrified of Grandma's wrath, you take your pick.  This year, I knew they were planning on it being more like a play play with people watching but I did not count on this:

That is pretty serious.  I had no idea it was going to be like on a stage with cameras and lights and THAT MANY CHAIRS.  Seriously a gulp moment.

There were A LOT of parts in this play but I was lucky enough to get one that is actually in the story of the birth of Christ, a shepherd.  Oh yeah!  So I got ushered back to wardrobe and got all shepherded up.  End result was pretty good I think.

What I didn't bank on was the fact that the shepherds, my sister and I, were in charge of two shepherd children and the star, who was my 5 year old second cousin and a handful.  Yes, I am sure that everyone was pleased to hear that I now have a boyfriend which means I am not a lesbian.  Oh yes, I have heard the whispers and rumors.  But does that really mean I need to be saddled with children during a play in which Grandma would skin me if I let them ruin it.  Keeping kids quiet and entertained for hours in costumes and in a hallway waiting for our couple of minutes on the stage is not easy.  It certainly was good birth control though.

Other fun play prep:

My Grandpa who was the narrator. 

Brothers

Got to have some fun

Thank God I wasn't a camel...

Shepherd Children

Cousins

Cousins

So after one run through we put the play on for an audience of like 60 people.  I've said it before and I'll say it again that being a Hastings in Edwardsville is like being in the mafia.  I only kid...

I think it went as well as we could have hoped.  I'm sure I will be getting a copy of the video and we'll see if I ever let anyone see it.  I'm glad we all got together to do it for my Grandma though.  It was her baby.  To get all of us together and in costume shows you how strong she is.

After that we had to put everything away and then it was dinner time!  Wooo!  If you ever get the chance to eat with the Hastings clan, here's a tip.  Get in line and get the food as soon as you can.  Just file that away.

We did some visiting then we did our traditional present exchange.  Anyone who wants to be a part of it is assigned another person's name.  That way you don't have to get more presents than one.  I had Kara and got her some earrings.  Alexis had me and got me a pretty cool gourmet cookbook.  Can't wait to try that out.  After the exchange, it was only 6pm even though it felt like midnight.

We did some more visiting and I finally got to hold my baby cousin.  He isn't the newest, just got another one three weeks ago but I somehow missed out on holding him.  Babies in this family usually get passed around like no one's business.  Coming from the mind of a dog person, it is like socializing a puppy to as many people as possible.  I remember being a small child in the family.  Sometimes you don't know how you're related to that person, you just take it with faith that you are.

Isn't he darling!?

 So after cleaning up we all packed up and some of us headed off to another house to play games.  Which is where we are now.  I'm exhausted and so ready for bed but I don't want to miss a minute of family time.  I really wish I lived closer to all of them.  It is a blessing to have a such a wonderful and loving family.

Off to play games!  Who knows when I will be bed bound but earlier will be better since I have to leave tomorrow morning for my flight at 5:45am.  Oh man...

Whirlwind day...

This weekend is going to be crazy busy for me. I feel a bit like I've been swept into a hurricane and it will be a miracle if I can keep all my balls in the air.

This has been my day:

• Finished packing and made sure everything was set up for the dogs.  (Whitman and my sister's dogs.  Been at their house)
• Met with Astrid to petsit some cats.
• Went to Geoff's house to pick up a present.
• Off to work for a couple of hours.
• Straight from work to Jake's house.
• Jake took me to the airport.
• Flew from Colorado Springs to Dallas.
• Layover.
• Delay.
• Delay.
• Delay.
• Finally fly from Dallas to St. Louis.
• Wait for my brother.
• Drive from St. Louis to Edwardsville.
• Chat a bit with family.
• Now finally in bed updating my blog.

So why am I in St. Louis?  Well this year is probably the last time we will all come together as the Hastings clan and see each other.  If I didn't come I would be the only one in like 50 that couldn't make it.  Everyone is here and that's quite a feat.  My grandma does this Nativity play every year but since it is getting to be so hard to get people together for Christmas in this huge crazy family, this year, the 25th year, is going to be the last official year that it happens.

It has been a crazy day and I'm already wiped but I'm glad that I could make it here.  I'm kind of irritated that it is going to be so crazy because stupid work wouldn't give me more than ONE day off for this.  So I worked this morning, flew out and I have tomorrow to spend here.  Then Monday I fly back home and go straight to work.  Yay for the crazy holiday season.

I love flying.  I am not such a huge fan of the airport though.  I was pretty pleased with Colorado Springs though because I got to do the TSA precheck thing at security.  They do a chemical test on your hands, for explosives I assume, and if you pass that then all you have to do is walk through the metal detector.  It's amazing.  Usually you have to basically undress and bend over backwards in order to get through security.  I am a huge fan of precheck.  It got me through so fast that I had lots of time to sit at the gate.  I will say that I probably won't fly American again.  Their agents are little power hungry jerks and don't seem to know what is going on.  The lady at the gate in Colorado Springs was a dragon lady wielding her little power over bag size like a Grinch.  This other girl and I were watching her make people repack their bags so they could fit in the carry on cage thing.  I've never seen people actually check that.  And she was being a bitch about that.  Yeesh.  When it was my turn to board, by God she was not stopping me and making me do anything to my bag.  I just brushed on past her.  Take that dragon lady!  At least the flight was good.

Usually I just put on my iPod and either sleep or read/write.  The flight from Colorado Springs to Dallas was different though.  I was sitting next to this cute army guy and he was pretty talkative.  He just got back from Afghanistan and he was making his way to New Orleans to go on a cruise.  We had a great time talking about almost everything and we were actually making each other laugh.  It's rare for me to connect so much with a stranger so that was fun.  That was something new for me and I'm glad I didn't just brush him off and put on my earphones.  I wish him well.  Doubt I'll ever see him again but it was good to share that flight with him.

Dallas wasn't so bad.  I just meandered my way to my next gate and plopped down.  There is a storm out east that was muddling travel though because there were quite a few delays and people RUNNING for their next flight.  Luckily I was only delayed about two hours total so it wasn't so bad.  I got some good people watching in.  That's a good past time.  It was amusing to see so many people just take off as fast as they can run to get to their next flight.  I feel their pain and don't want that to happen to me but it was amusing to watch.  So silver lining if you ever have to run for a flight is that you're probably amusing the people watching you streak by.

Once I landed I trecked on out to my dad waiting to pick me up.  I was about two hours late but it all worked out because my brother who was flying in right behind me was also about two hours late.  We only had to wait about a half hour for him then we drove off to Edwardsville.  Finally having arrived, it was nice to see family but even nicer to climb into bed.

Tomorrow is another busy day so I'll actually try to sleep now.

Holiday Tradition

I love the holiday season.  I love Christmas.  Everyone knows this.  True, the hours of unrelenting Christmas music at work is starting to slowly drive me crazy, but I still love the season.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is going to the Broadmoor and walking around the lake.  Usually there are gorgeous Christmas lights and you can end the night in the bar for a hot drink.  So much fun.  Jake, forever earning brownie points, took me tonight.  Although it was a bit of a let down light wise this year, I loved the fact that he took me even though he wasn't overly interested.  His son came with us so it could have been more romantic but it truly doesn't bother me.  It was a really good time.  Perfect send off for tomorrow.

Kisses to my man!

Drop it like it's hot!

So it isn't really "my thing" but every once in a while a night out dancing is very much needed.  This time it was Amanda, her friends, Jeff, Caitlin, Shay and I with Jake.  We went to Cowboys, which wasn't my first choice but it was a lot of fun still.  I got Caitlin out there and we did some line dancing but mostly we drank and were silly.  That included singing some karaoke.  Yes I was drunk enough to sing but no you will never see the video.  Some things are meant to be deleted.

All in all it was a fantastic night with a fantastic group of people.  Love my friends.

Doesn't it look like we're having fun?

Christmas Party!

I've had Christmas parties before but the WagNWash Christmas party really took the cake on fancy.  You wouldn't think that considering what type of store it is.  However, once you meet the owners you might expect something fancy from them.

Anyway, last night we all had to work so we decided that us girls were going to bring our things to work and start getting ready at the store.  The store was supposed to close at 5pm.  The bus to Denver (yes the party was in Denver even though there are more stores here.  Makes no sense.) left at 6pm and the party was to start at 7pm.  When you're a girl and you have a fancy party to get ready for you can't do that in a matter of minutes.  Think about it.  You get off at 5, go home which is about a 15 minute drive from both stores, then have to be back to catch the bus at 6.  That leaves about half an hour to get ready if you're lucky.

So us girls left Jeff in charge of the store as we went upstairs early and got ready.  Aimee and Ryan did my hair and makeup and I think it turned out pretty good.  Jake came, brownie points for him.  He looked DAMN fine but of course I forgot to get a picture of us.  I think that's his plan.  It's like pulling teeth to get a picture haha.

Jake drove us up to Denver since he didn't want to ride the bus, which I didn't mind much.  We got there early and hung out in the car for a bit.  Then we went in and man it was a fancy Italian restaurant.  There was a four course meal and it was very yummy.  I bet it all cost a fortune.  It was pretty nice for them to spend that much money on it.  It was a good time.  Course maybe they could do bigger bonuses instead but I guess a party is pretty nice too.  Drink tickets were nice too.

There was a kind of white elephant gift.  I bought a gift of chocolate, hot chocolate and a mug with a Santa hat.  I ended up with an ordainment, which I gave to Amanda, and $20 in ITunes gift cards.  I think I made out pretty will considering some people did not take to heart that there weren't supposed to be gag gifts or anything.

Overall, it was a nice time and I'm glad that I went.  I'm glad Jake came with me.  Yay the Christmas season!

Ryan and I at work before leaving.

The ladies!

Our crew!

Brrrrrrrrr!

I know I have been asking for cold weather but this is ridiculous.  It is so cold outside that my boogers are freezing when I walk outside.  My pipes froze, which has been fun.  I am praying that they don't burst.  That's one of the many joys of having an old house.

I am so happy that I have Jake is here to warm up my hands and feet!

Whitman is 4!!!

One of the great loves of my life turns four years old today!  Whitman is getting to be such an old man!  I can hardly believe it.  I am so in love with him and he never fails to make me smile.  This year was hard, losing Gerani, and I know I never could have made it through that without this silly and lovable boy. Happy 4th Birthday pumpkin butt!

There's possibility...

The number one thing I am thankful for is possibility.  Everything is possible if you want it and go for it.  There is nothing else that excites me more than that.

New things? Why not!

I'm thankful for the freedom I have in my life to try things.  The beauty of life is that you don't get one path to take.  There are many many many paths and I get to choose where I want to go and how I want to do it.  I am so lucky to be able to try things.  Whether or not it works out, I got to try.  THAT is what life is about.  No one has it figured out completely and if you don't have the guts to try you're trapped.  Thank God that's not me.

Be thankful for falling down

I am thankful for all the times in my life that I've failed and had to try again.  Every time we fail it is a chance to change our lives.  We have to learn and grow but we can't do that if we don't figure out what works for us.  I've never truly crashed and burned before, at least not badly enough that I couldn't get back up.  But that's the important thing; I got back up.  Sometimes on my own and I dusted myself off.  Sometimes I needed a little more support and help.  But every time, I've found a way to get back on my feet and keep going.  That's an incredible thing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!  

I hope everyone has a warm place to spend it with good food and better company.

I've been drawn into the family fold again and headed home to the parentals' house.  This was also Jake's first time meeting my family.  I'm happy to say that everyone behaved themselves marvelously.  I've brought someone home before but never someone I cared this much about so I was a little nervous but I don't think it scared him off.  And I think the family liked him.  Good times all around.

I'll be thankful for that!

It's the little things...

I am thankful for the little things in life that make me smile.  It might be the antics of my cat chasing ghosts, Whitman's goofy face, post-it notes, lavender lotion, or sea shells.  I think that we should spend time everyday finding the little things in life that was can take joy in instead of rushing around and worrying all the time.  Life should be enjoyed.  There's nothing more beautiful than the small moments.

Beautiful Colorado!

I am thankful for this beautiful state, Colorado.  I've thought about moving away but something about beautiful Colorado keeps drawing me back.  The mountains really do speak to me.  I'm a Colorado girl through and through and I am thankful that I get to be here in this gorgeous place.

Edumacated!

I'm thankful for my education.  Getting through college was horrible.  My college years were probably the hardest of my life.  However, I am so thankful that I dragged myself through and got that diploma.  I've accomplished something.  It is certainly something to be proud of.  I never thought I would say this, but I am actually thinking about going back to school at some point.  Better myself.

Healthy and Happy!

I'm thankful for my health.  FINALLY!  I've been sick for a while, so long that being healthy seems like a distant memory.  However, I am overall fairly healthy.  I don't have an illness that dramatically changes my life.  For that, I am thankful.  You have a lot when you have your health.

Heavenly Coffee

I'm thankful for coffee, heavenly coffee.  That shouldn't surprise anyone that knows me.  Heck my blog is named for it.  That first sip of coffee is incredible and just sets the mood for the rest of the day.  That's why a good cup of coffee is important.

Working for a living

I'm thankful for my jobs.  Although I might complain sometimes, I am thankful to have my jobs.  Working is a good feeling.  I may need to do some changes in this area coming up in my life but I'm thankful to at least have a job.  Baking cookies for dogs may seem silly but I have so much fun doing it.  That's a great thing.

The house!

I am thankful for my house.  I know it will never be completely done.  It will forever need work of some kind but I'm thankful I get to call it mine. It is mine to do with what I will and it feels very adult to own a home.  When did that happen?

My man!

I'm thankful for Jake.  Jake makes me feel special and beautiful and he makes me laugh.  What more can I ask for in a man?  Dating has always been a bit hard for me because I don't think I knew myself.  Now that I know myself I am so happy to share that with a guy like him.  Kisses!

All my friends!

I am thankful for all my friends.  It is impossible to list everyone but you know who you are.  Friends make life worth living and I thank you for sharing it with me!

All the Family

I am thankful for ALL of my family.  I have a huge extended family.  I love them dearly and its sad that I don't get to see them as much as I used to due to time and finances.  However, I still love them dearly.  It's a great feeling that if I ever needed them, the whole group would band together.  They live close to each other so they have a much stronger bond than I do but I know that they love me just as much as I love them.  The beauty of family is that no matter how different you are, you love each other.

Love my family!

Another lifelong friend!

I am thankful for Sarah.  She is another lifelong friend that has come and gone a bit in my life but we've reconnected.  For the longest time, she was the closest person to me.  Through some hard teenage times, Sarah was there for me.  We have more inside jokes than anyone else.  No matter what, we can be there for each other and make each other laugh.  Hopefully, for many many more years to come.

Love you, Sarah.

Seany-boy

I am thankful for Sean, a lifelong friend.  Sean has come and gone in my life a bit but I'm so thankful I have him.  We have SO much, maybe too much, fun together and you can't put a price on that.  Not only that, I know that no matter what happens, Sean is there to support me.  No matter where life takes us, I know we'll be friends.  We're kindred spirits!

Love you, Sean!

Dog Training

I'm thankful for the opportunity to do what I love, dog training.  I may never make a killing at it but I love it and that is what is important.  Working with dogs has been the main joy in my life and I am so thankful for Lucky Dog University for providing that opportunity for me.  Not only that, being a part of LDU has opened so many doors and experiences for me that I never would have gotten to do otherwise.  The ABDT Conference is the most recent example!

With Dr. Ian Dunbar.

With Terry Ryan after Chicken Camp

My Dog People

I'm thankful for Lucky Dog University, which has brought me into contact with some wonderful people.  I am very lucky to call many of them my friends.  It took me so long to find a place and people with whom I felt I truly belonged.  What a blessing to bond with everyone over our shared love of dogs.  Friendships have been built beyond that and they are so important to me.

I love all my LDU people past and present!

Just as geeky as me!

I am thankful for Astrid.  We're different in so many ways but I couldn't have chosen a better person to go on this journey of dog training with me.  She inspires me and I very much look up to her.  We're also just geeky enough that we bond outside of training.  I'm so glad she's a friend and colleague.

Love you, Astrid!

Mentor, Friend

I'm thankful for Angie, my mentor and friend.  Angie knows I love her even if I am rattling my cage a bit.  I love her and I am so thankful for everything she has done for me.  She is the one who gave me my road to my dream and I can never repay her for that.  What I'm even more thankful for is that she was become a close and trusted friend.  That is rare in this world.

Love you, Angie!

Veterans Day!

Thank you to everyone that has served this great country of ours.  It irritates me that it is "uncool" in the culture today to be patriotic.  I don't care though; I love this country and I'm proud to be an American.  That means I am proud of those that have chosen to serve it.

Thank you to all that have served, are serving and will serve in the future.  Especially close to my heart are my brother, cousins and my beau, Jake.  I also like to remember my Grandpa Joe today.  He served this country in WWII when we needed brave men to defend us.

I spent today with Jake and his son up in the mountains.  We did some shooting.  I'm not very good haha.  His guns are heavy and I have a hard time holding them up for any amount of time.  Then we went off roding in his truck.  Yes he's one of those guys with a truck haha.  It was a lot of fun!

Kat!

I'm thankful for my friend, Kathleen.  She also knows more about my inner thoughts and who I am than most people.  I'm proud of her for coming all the way to Colorado away from her family.  Our lives may always change but I'll always have you.  Our friendship has been such a big part of my life that she's really influenced who I am and where I am headed.  Thank you for being there for me, even when you were far away!

Love you, Kathleen!

My Friend from Cradle to Grave

I'm thankful for Caitlin H, my oldest friend.  There are few people outside my family that know me as well as Caitlin does.  And she still loves me!  She's the kind of friend that really is a part of you.  No matter how long it has been, I can reach out to her and I know she is there.  We were babies together, kids together, made it through separate schools and was one of the few people I think could survive backpacking Europe with me.  That says a lot about Caitlin.  I am truly blessed to have such a friend.

Love you Cailtin!

Angels on my Shoulder

I am so thankful for the two angels on my shoulder, Gerani and Vallie.  Although losing them was like losing a piece of my soul I could never get back, having them with me changed who I was for the better and changed the course of my life.  If you know me, you know how I feel about my dogs.  Vallie was my soul mate.  Gerani was such a gentle soul that I got to share with so many people.  They are both blessings.

Love you, Gerani and Vallie!

Kitten Cat!

I'm thankful for Theo.  He got the short end of the stick in some ways because I'd never had a cat before.  He's been very patient with me though.  It's very kind of him to let me live in his house.  I love the way he snuggles with me at night.  I love how he can carry a conversation and how I can hear him walk across my floor (he really isn't all that sneaky or dainty).

Love you, Theo!

Whitters!

I'm thankful for my boy, Whitman.  I've always had a huge heart for dogs and I got used to having really well trained dogs.  Then Whitman came along.  He's a different dog than I thought I wanted but I love him dearly for that.  No dog has ever made me laugh as much as he has.  He may not be the demo dog Gerani was but he certainly has personality.  Plus he's just the sweetest and most handsome little guy!

Love you, Whitman!

Younger Brother

I'm thankful for my brother, Riley.  He's younger than me but maybe the most kindred spirit to me.  I'm so happy that I get to share so much of who I am with him.  He followed my steps and majored in English Literature but I know he could have done anything that he wanted to do.  I remember the days when he was reading books on quantum physics while I could barely understand the title.  One smart cookie.  I love his bravery in expressing his views and exploring the life he wants.

Love you, Riley!

Older Brother

I'm thankful for Geoffrey, my older brother.  We haven't always gotten along (thanks for shoving me down the stairs in my walker as a baby), however we are a lot alike.  I love that he is up for seeing silly movies like The Lorax with me.  I've also never seen someone who can recite lines from any source just to make the rest of us laugh.  I'm also proud you serve our country!

Love you, Geoff!

A Third Brother

I'm thankful for Jak.  I couldn't ask for a better brother-in-law.  He was meant to be a part of our family.  He makes me laugh and more importantly, he makes my sister happy.  Although I don't always know what he is talking about, I admire the way his mind works and it never fails to amuse me.  I am so glad he's a member of this family.

Love you, Jak!

Sister of Mine

I'm thankful for my sister.  There are few people in this world whose opinion I truly truly value.  My sister is one of them.  I love the fact that we are so similar that we can look at each other, make an off hand comment, and both laugh.  She understands me. That's a precious precious thing.  She's also the one who has given me the best advice in my life.

Thank you for always being there for me Caitlin.  I know you always will be.

My Mom

I'm thankful for my mom.  We may not always see eye to eye but I know that I'd be hard pressed to find someone that has more influenced who I am today.  She never accepted the fact that I could be anything less than what I am.  Without her I wouldn't be able to read and I would have been left behind, brushed to the side.  I owe everything that I've accomplished since then to her believing in me.  When I believe in myself I know that it is because my mom believes in me.

Love you Mom!

Topo Gigio

I'm grateful for my dad.  He's been a source of strength and comfort in my life.  I know that no matter what, I can call on my dad and he's there for me.  He goes above and beyond for me and for that I can never thank him enough.  I'm a daddy's girl through and through.

Love you Dad!

November- The Month of Thanks

November- the month of thanks.

Most of you who know me, know I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving the day.  First of all, I double the first Thanksgiving went down in such a lovey dove, let's-be-friends way.  Let's not forget the settling of European s in America wasn't exactly friendly.

Second, I don't like to eat that much.  I don't like eating until the point where I feel like I'm going to throw up.  I eat, I get full and I stop eating.  No need to push it.  Honestly I'd rather graze than sit down and eat a meal.  So having this huge meal of all these great foods I love is torture.  I have to eat tiny portions of everything and it kind of defeats the point.  Then for the rest of the week you can't eat anything but Thanksgiving food.  It just throws everything out of wack.

Third, I don't like cooking that much.  And I really don't like cooking just because I'm a woman, which I do feel like is an expectation for some people.  Hey, maybe I'd rather watch football despite my gender.

Anyway, that's all beside the point.  Whether or not I like Thanksgiving itself, I think it is a good thing to remember and acknowledge everything in life you are lucky to have and that you're thankful for.  So this month, I'm doing that.

In no particular order I'm going to highlight things and people I am thankful for.

Train a Chicken!

People ask me all the time why you train a chicken.  Well... the idea is that training a chicken with a clicker and rewards, you learn a lot about the training and learning process.  It teaches you the power of a reward, even on a stupid animal like a chicken.  More importantly, it teaches you timing!  TIMING IS HUGE!  If you don't have good timing you're messing up your training and you don't even know it.  With dogs, it is harder to see because they are smart and often times are trying to figure you out so you may not see the mistake you've made until it is ingrained and a trained behavior. Then you have to do a lot of back tracking.  With a chicken, you can see the mistake you've made immediately because they're stupid enough that it happens right away.  So if your timing is off you see it and can fix it before it becomes a problem.

This chicken camp wasn't that long, only half a day, so we didn't get as much time with the chicken as I would have liked but man it was fun and very informative.  Meet my partner in crime!

This is Cindy, my chicken.  She was an older chicken and very smart.  We made great progress.  Since she was older she was probably anticipating me more than the others and was able to catch on to me better.  It is pretty humbling when a chicken is waiting on you and you're the one bumbling about.

First, we started with the chicken dance with Terry Ryan.  You think I didn't get up and dance?  Guess again!  Of course I did the chicken dance.  I jumped at the chance to dance a chicken dance with a major name in the dog training industry.  Duh, do you not know me at all?

Then we did some studying on the clicker.  I have to say that Angie teaches the clicker really well because I knew exactly what to do where a lot of people in the class had never done a clicker before.  So that made me pretty proud that I already had a great understanding of this training process.

Then we got to train the chickens.  First we were training them to peck a red disk.  In order to get them to peck you have to click and reward any behavior that could lead to a peck.  That's the hardest bit.  So the chicken leans down toward the dot, you click it and feed so that the chicken repeats that behavior.  That's where you see your mistakes.  If you clicked and rewarded the wrong thing you will see your chicken repeating a behavior that you didn't want.  The goal is: peck, click, reward.  I had my chicken pecking the red dot in no time.

Then we were going to train them to do something they've never done before.  We put a yellow disk down and only rewarded the chicken pecking the red one.  The chicken is normally rewarded for pecking a disk presented to them so they have to learn that the reward is only coming on the red one so they start targeting that.  Cindy was a star so we were able to move on quickly to pieces of paper in different shapes, teaching the chicken to click a specific shape.  That was something the chickens had NEVER done before so that was pretty cool to see that it didn't take long to teach an animal like a chicken to do something like that.  The power of a clicker and reward is very cool.

Terry Ryan!

Cindy and I, the chicken team!

This was an AWESOME experience and I am so sad that it was the last day of the conference.  Waiting to fly home now.

I am so lucky to have been able to do this.  I am so full of promise and excitement for what possibilities there are.  Please please please keep a hold of this.