Life Is Good

Alright, so, honestly I don't have much to talk about.  Life has been busy and crazy and hectic, and I've been loving every minute of it.

Lately, I feel like I've come back from the dead.  For the past few months there's been this cloud hanging over my head.  I was tired and cranky and irritable.  I'm pretty sure whenever I entered the room Hans would sound some sort of alarm for others to scatter.  I felt over-extended, and at the same time I felt like I wasn't extending myself enough.  What I really wanted was to just lie in bed and stay asleep.  Oh what joy THAT would have brought!  And, I knew what some of the factors to my mood were (I'll discuss those some other time), but knowing them didn't seem to help at all.

Lately, though, I've been feeling good.  Sure, some days are easier than others, but so far each day has seemed better and better.  I'm feeling more energized, and I'm accomplishing a lot more (like writing this blog).  Spending time with the dogs has always been easy, but before all I wanted to do was lie down and sleep.  Now, I'm itching to take them to the park or hiking or some other fun activity.  For that, I'm simply waiting for warmer weather.

I have a few theories as to the improvement too.

1) My chiropractor appointments have helped immensely.  I feel like their really starting to stick, and I like that.

2) It's amazing what eating right can do for your energy.  Calorie Count has been a big help, but I'm doing more than counting calories.  I've been really careful to eat wholesome foods, and less processed foods.  Good for me!

3) It's also amazing what a bit of exercise can do for your energy AND for your mentality.  I love endorphins.  I'm not doing a lot, mainly riding my bike inside.  That said, does anyone have any solutions for the sore-butt that my bike causes?  As in, I could ride a lot longer if sitting up there didn't hurt my bony rear so much. 

The mood has been relatively short-lived, but I'd be really happy if it continued.  Here's to keeping up the good work!

Fifteen Minutes A Day

So, the other day I blogged about my plan for Icing, and how Hans and I would play with her for 15 minutes at a time each.  The thought was that fifteen minutes seemed like a much more attainable goal, and that we would be more apt to devote that small amount of time (and possibly more).  So, two things:

1) Icing is doing wonderfully.  We have quickly lengthened our time with her, and as her training progresses we are allowing her to partake in family activities more and more.  Last night we even took her to Bass Pro Shops.  She and Cody still don't get along (at all), but she's quickly learning to pay attention to what we ask of her, and that's a good thing.  Hopefully she'll find a home soon.

2) I didn't realize what a great thing I'd stumbled upon when I decided to start with just 15 mintues at a time.  Things were going so well with Icing that I decided to try it with other aspects of my life (namely cleaning).  I know it hasn't been long, but so far so good.  Fifteen minutes is not enough time to start and finish a large project, but it's enough to get started.  If I say, "Just fifteen minutes" then by the end of 15 minutes I'm typically wanting to continue because I'm already involved.  Plus, on days where I'm super-busy, and I know there's no way to finish a larger project, I might at least get 15 minutes in.  This is a huge change from the days where I'd just give up and say there was no way I was every going to get it done, so why should I even start.

So, what can you get done in fifteen minutes?  Hmmm....

1) Clean a desk

2) Vacuum a floor of the house (depends on how thorough you are, but good for a light cleaning).

3) Fold laundry (depending on amount of laundry).

4) Clean a bathroom (at least my tiny bathroom). 

5) Change your way of living.

6) The possibilities are endless!

I should make one last comment.  Again, I know it hasn't been long, but the last few days have been wonderful.  By starting with just 15 minutes, I'm getting so much more done.  When I get more done, I feel better about myself.  When I feel better about myself, I'm more apt to get even more done.  Do you see where this is going?  I encourage you, instead of looking at a massive project and declaring that it's too big and overwhelming, set your timer and work for just 15 minutes.  I assure you, you'll be amazed at the progress you can make!

Alright, blogland.  How do YOU stay motivated?

A Good Day After All

I don't normally post twice in a day, but I figured it's late enough tonight, and I probably won't have a chance to post tomorrow.  Besides, I want to share some stuff with you.

Living Healthy
So, on a previous blog post I wrote about my desire to start living my life in a healthy way again.  I wanted to regain control of myself.  Well, so far so good, and I'm feeling awesome (well, actually I think I'm catching a nasty cold, but other than that I'm feeling awesome).  Those snack bars have really come in handy, too. 

Anyway, I wanted to tell y'all about this awesome tool I found.  I was searching around online for a recipe calorie calculator for the bars that I made.  You see, I don't want this healthy-living thing to just be about calories, but I new I'd need a little help with some stuff.  I found quite a few calorie calculators, but the most awesome one I found is sponsored by about.com.  This calorie calculator is FANTASTIC!  Not only does it calculate calories, but it also gives me full nutritional information (fiber, potassium, fat, etc.).  I went ahead and joined the community (free of charge!), and suddenly I was equipped with an online food and exercise journal.  It even tells me if I'm low on any given vitamins, and it connects me with all sorts of online groups and resources.  I'm absolutely astounded.  I'm so happy with it, I just had to share it with all of you.  If you try it, please tell me if you like it.

Moving on...

The Doggie Debaucle
Yes, I'm still upset about the Icing situation.  I kept waiting to get a call or an email saying that Doggie Day Spa was sorry, and that there was just a bit of confusion.  Alas, no such call or email (or even text) came.  You know what, though?  More power to me.  Yes, I could deal with a bit less stress.  Yes, that would have made life a lot easier.  I know, though, that if I can handle this, I can handle anything.

Hans and I are starting out right too.  We spent a good thirty minutes this evening with Icing.  The goal (for now) is twenty to thirty minutes of working time in the morning and thirty minutes of play in the evening.  Icing did get here until late morning, so we just started out with this evening.  Hans and I are both really busy, though, and I kept thinking out I just couldn't fit a whole 30 minutes in.  Then it dawned on me.  I can't fit 30 minutes in, but I can fit 15 minutes in, and so can Hans!  Of course, this is advice I give my clients all the time.  It would be a bit helpful if I listened to myself every once and awhile.  Anyway, that's what I did.  I played for 15 minutes, and Hans played for 15 minutes.  It wasn't much, just a light game of fetch, but Icing LOVED it.  And you know what?  She's quiet right now.  I can only hope she stays that way through the night.

Well, I hope you all had a decent day.  I think mine went fairly well.

Disclaimer: Promotion for the calorie calculator on about.com was done of my own accord.  I am not receiving any gifts or extra rewards.  I simply found a site that I'm really excited about, and I wanted to share.

The Doggie Debacle

All names have been trained to protect the innocent (and the guilty)

Oh what a day!  For those of you who don't know, I foster a dog named Icing for the Humane Society.  Icing is a handful.  She's a cattle dog (supposedly mix) and she definitely displays all the behaviors that are characteristic of cattle dogs.  She's really sweet, don't get me wrong.  However, she's also high energy and very opinionated.  While I think she's a really great dog, she and Cody just don't get along, and that's a problem for me.

Anyway, I brought her to my house in October with the intention of training her.  I wish I had realized then how much added stress that would be.  I spend 10 hours a day training dogs, and when I'm not training I'm thinking about training or studying training methods or planning for more training.  Having a dog in my house that needed to be trained from scratch was just a little bit more than I could handle.

Back in December, though, Cary from the Humane Society called to say that the boarding facility Doggie Day Spa  would be taking Icing to train her and that I would get the dog they had just trained.  Admittedly I was upset at first.  My thought was, "I've failed them and let them down.  They think I suck!"  Then, however, a thought occured to me.  Maybe they didn't think I'd failed them.  Maybe they just realized what an added task that was and wanted to give me a break.  Taking in a trained dog to keep her training up would be a lot easier on me, and Doggie Day Spa had the facilities to train Icing properly.  This wouldn't just benefit me, it would greatly benefit Icing (and any other dog who entered the program).  Once Icing was trained, I'd be happy to take her back (which would be great because otherwise she'd go into a kennel where no one would work with her), but in the mean time I could have some down time.  Oh what a blessing!!  So, I quite happily dropped Icing off at Doggie Day Spa yesterday morning and picked up Valentine (the previously trained dog) to continue working with her.

Then, at about 5:30 last night, Cary gave me a call.  The owner of Doggie Day Spa did not realize that Valentine (and any dog after) would be going to another trainer after they left Doggie Day Spa.  Apparently, this was a conflict of interest for them and they were suspending our contract until better arrangements could be made.

First of all, let me make it clear that it was never any secret that I was another trainer.  Not only had it been mentioned in emails, it had been clear that this was the Humane Society's choice because then all these trained dogs would go into a home with someone who was used to working with them.

Second of all, (in case anyone at Doggie Day Spa happens to read this) never was it my intention to train these dogs in any new way.  I very much respect the methods with which they were already trained, and I even use those methods myself.  Never would I claim that I had trained the dogs, for that would be unethical.  I would only want to see these dogs to continue to improve.  In fact, in the few hours we've had Valentine, Hans has been the main one to work with her.  Why?  Because she's afraid of men, and each time Hans works with her that's one man she's a little less afraid of.

Third of all, what kind of dog-friendly company would do that to a homeless dog?  They're lucky I'm a pushover, and I'm very lucky that Hans is so understanding and patient.  If that were not the case, then Icing would not have a home to come back to.  How awful of a person would I be if I turned her out into the cold?

Now, maybe I'm wrong about all this.  Maybe there's just been some major confusion, and in a few short days everything will be worked out and we'll all be happy.  However, right now I am not happy.  I am ticked off.  I am flabbergasted.  I am disappointed in a lot of people right now.  Actually, as an ego-boost to myself I'm also a bit pleased.  I can only assume that Doggie Day Spa has heard of me and sees me as a major threat.  (Thinking this makes me happy.  Please don't burst my bubble.)

So, now I have a lot of work to do.  I have decided that Icing needs more than what I was able to give her before.  Giving her more would make me feel better about myself, so that's what I'm going to do.  It might not be a lot more, but it will be more.  I promise myself and Icing and Hans that things will not be the same as what they were.  Things will be different.  Wish me luck!

P.S. If anyone reading this would care to help me train a dog, either through motivation or as an actual assistant, I'd be more than happy for the help.  Motivation is what I need most though, so please don't hesitate to give me daily (hourly) reminders!

If I Had Won The Lottery Last Night...

...I would have:

1) Called my closest friends and family and told them they're all rich.  Really, what's the point in having money if you can't share it?

2) Called my realtor and told her to get ready for a big commission.

3) Donated a lot to animal rescue organizations.

4) Planned an astronomically-priced vacation.

5) Spent a whole lot on stuff I probably don't need.  I mean, come on, it's good to have fun.

6) Started planning and building my dream kennel.

Alas, I did not win the lottery last night.  The $355 million jackpot was split between two people in Idaho and Washington.  And while everything on this list is great, the one item that makes me happiest right now is number six.  It amazes me to think that even if I had more money than I knew what to do with, enough money where I would never have to work again, I would still want to build and run a kennel.  How many people can say that about their jobs?  How many people can say that even if they never HAD to work again they would WANT to continue what they're doing anyway?  I, personally, never thought that would be the case with me.  I hoped I would love doing what I do, but never really thought it would happen.

Sure, running a dog-training business can be frustrating (as can running any business).  There are certain days and certain dogs and certain people that just make me want to throw in the towel (or at least cry for a very long time), but when I think about my overall feeling towards what I do, I'm happy.

Three and a half years ago, when I graduated as a music major from a small school in MN, happiness (in my job at least) was merely a dream.  To know that dream has come true is phenomenal.  It spreads into all aspects of my life.  It makes me be a better person.

So, while I did not win the lottery last night (dang it!), I can live happily knowing I have a roof over my head, a husband who loves me, a wonderful, wonderful family of dogs and cats, and a fulfilling career that generally seems more like a hobby than a job.  Who needs more than that?

Enough Is Enough Already!

Last New Year's Day I made a resolution to live life healthier.  Like most resolutions, this one started out well and was full of good intentions.  However, eventually life caught up.  Between buying a house, working at WEE Shop, growing the business, and simply living life I kind of let the fitness thing go by the wayside.  I stopped working out.  I used my time with the dogs as an excuse for not doing hard workouts like I used to (this actually worked over the summer), I used all my time in the car as an excuse for not being able to prepare proper meals, and I used stress as an excuse to be lazy.  All that said...

...ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!

I am tired of feeling so tired!  I am tired of feeling my jeans grow tighter and tighter.  I am tired of telling myself I'll get back on track tomorrow.  Why not start today?

First things first:  FOOD!

I learned over Christmas that I love to munch.  While I also enjoy sit down meals, I thoroughly enjoy snacking all day long.  Apparently this is better for my body too, so aren't I a lucky gal?  The problem is, snacking on cookies and cake probably is not the healthiest thing for me, and I'm not always in the mood for fruit and veggies.  So, what's the solution?  Breakfast bars!!

I spent yesterday morning and evening making different bars.  Some are a great meal replacement for those mornings where I'm really too rushed for breakfast.  Others are better as just a quick snack.  They all store well, and they're super tasty...yum!

I also learned that I get cold in the winter (go figure), and I need something other than hot chocolate to keep me warm.  One hot chocolate here and there isn't so bad, but three or four in a day probably isn't so good.  So, Hans and I made a huge pot of chicken and wild rice soup (my favorite soup) last night.  That will make for a few good lunches and dinners.

There is now pre-cooked food in the house as well as lots of fruit and healthy stuff.  The junk food, it is no good!  I'm making a concerted effort to watch what and how much I eat, and I already feel like it's paying off.  I'm feeling better and more energetic already.  Woo hoo!

Step 2:  The work-out!!!

This gets a little more complicated.  I have not yet gotten clearance from the doctor to start a full-blown workout routine like the ones I used to do (if you're wondering why I'm seeking clearance, email me), so I kind of have to improvise.  Plus, it's cold outside, and that makes things a lot harder.

To get things going, I've started walking on the treadmill, and will slowly increase speed and incline as soon as I'm allowed.  The problem?  My treadmill broke!!!!!!  Luckily, it's still under warranty, but it's a pain in the posterior none the less.  This means I either have to walk outside (brrr!), or I have to...

...ride my NEW BIKE!!!  I've had a bike since I was five, and I thoroughly enjoyed riding it.  I got a second bike when I was nine.  I've had that bike for the past 16 years.  I love that bike.  It has served me well, but needless to say it was just a bit too small for me now.  I've been saving and saving, and I finally justified the bike.  I decided it was time and I'm worth it.  Added bonus: As a late Christmas treat, Mom and Hans got together and got me an indoor trainer for my bike.

This is soooooo great!  I can now do a low-impact, higher-intensity workout inside...while I watch t.v.  It's true, I'm changing my t.v. time.  T.V. time is now while I'm working out.  It works out well because I'm able to enjoy my favorite shows I'm still moving (not being a slug on the couch), plus I'm not getting bored by the stationary workouts.


So, I'm sorry this is such a long post, but I am utterly thrilled about all that's been going on.  I am asking everyone and anyone who's reading this post for help and support.  Help me keep getting on the bike or treadmill (until warmer weather hits and I can go outside again).  Help me choose the best and healthiest foods, in the right proportions.  Help me reach all my goals, so I can be the best me possible.


Thank you!

Updates For the New Year

Hello All! 
I'm so sorry it has been so long since I last posted.  I honestly think time just got away from me.  I was thinking, "Hmmm, it's been almost a week since I last posted."  Then, when I looked, I saw it had actually been closer to two weeks!  Sorry!  So, I thought I'd give you this first post of the new year just to update you on the events of the past few weeks.

Christmas
Christmas was a wonderful, beautiful event.  Hans had off from work, and we spent the entire time doing nothing.  Last year we had 17 people, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and a baby in our apartment.  The year before that, we traveled to MN and AZ to visit family.  This year, with all that's been going on, we just wanted to sleep.  Hans and I spent all day watching movies and just enjoying being with each other.

Oh, and I also gave Hans is gift.  He was expecting a tool or two, and he got tools...he got a lot of tools.  Hans has been so wonderful, and he's been building dog beds for the business, an endeavor that means he's had to spend extra time at the theater just to have tools to use.  Of course, this means he hasn't built many beds nor has he been home as often as possible.  So, I made an investment.  Hans now has a workshop.  That was the best thing on Christmas, watching him open every tool and watching his face light up.  Christmas was good.

New Year
While we wanted Christmas day to be quiet, we did want to see family at some point.  We saw my dad right after Christmas, but we wanted more.  So, shortly after Christmas, we drove down to NC to visit Hans' grandma, Gan.  I hadn't seen Gan in a year, so I was very excited.

We spent the past few days visiting with Gan and Hans' cousins (some of which we hadn't seen in 3 years).  It was so nice seeing everybody, but it was almost nicer just having a chance to get away.  Cody had a blast having us all to himself, and we enjoyed waking up on our own schedule as opposed to waking up to the dog's schedule (Cody is great about following our schedule).

We rang in the new year last night with Gan, and I think that was a wise decision.  Opening the new year with family is always great.  Today we drove home, and now I'm back in my own house.

Birthdays
The other fun thing about today is that it's my dad's birthday.  So, while I'd love to fall asleep, we're instead going to visit Dad and join him for dinner.  Don't worry, I'm equally excited about that.

In three days (on the 4th) we'll celebrate my mom's birthday.  Kind of exciting to have two birthdays so close, huh?  So, the next week will be somewhat exciting.

Otherwise, there are a lot of other things coming up, and I'll have to keep you posted on that.  I hope you all have a beautiful and wonderful New Year.  Enjoy!