Panty Raid

Yes - it is 2010! July in fact! And I am sooooo busy!

I have two houses I am keeping up with.

I have two puppies.

I have two cats.

I work for two different departments - so two POs, two invoices, two auto-deposits.

I need to be two!

After my dog Trim died (she was old and had slipped out of any quality of life), I waited a bit, thought about it (I thought), and went and found a breeder and found a female beagle puppy - the one that did NOT lay calmly in the breeders hand while being photographed. The cute one with the rolling eye that siad "I am a character". Enter Grace into my life May of last year (day before Mother's Day). Oh, excuse me, was there a Mother's Day this year????

Grace raided laundry, chewed my glasses ($600 trifocals), my shoes ($120 SAS loafers - missed the $600 orthodics), bras and panties, shredded books, and was chewing the corners off the sofa. She was being walked 4 miles a day and she tore up her "pen" while I was at work. So,... 18 months later, this past December, I went shopping for puppy number two. A calmer one.

Enter Suky, a princess, the runt of the litter (if I could have taken her brother I would have). Grace is the Alpha dog. Suky is the Beta pup.

She arrived with ringworm, paracites, and kennel cough. I had been thru kennel cough and paracites with Grace. She also had ears problems and a puppy rash. The ringworm was awful to deal with - I had a tiny bald-spotted puppy. Suky was 6 lbs at 3 months.

Grace is 20-24 lbs (trying to get her back to 20-22). Suky is 19-20 lbs.

I walk them 2 miles a day most days TANDEM. Grace ahd three puppy classes and finally walks MOST of the time on loose leash. (Beagels are never let loose.)

Grace has found her voice and "discusses" things when I tell her to stop barking (barking is her demanding something from me). These types of growls, barls, and noises are NOTHING if a man gets new MOMMY when we are in the house. The UPS guy is still running.

Well, Suky is in the middle of the 2nd class. Loose leash! HA HA HA.

Suky is a hunter-tracker. Little still picked up in my arms Suky can haul Grace and I down the sidewalk while she BAYS her ALERT and tracks whatever it is - until I find sprinklers ont he sodewalk and cut the scent!

Suky tries to CLIMB TREES after squirrles.

My yard in Fremont has a brand new fence.

My living room is always with carriers )for sleeping) and toys. The third bedroom has the pen and little of the vinyl left (time for a new floor). THe car always has something dog in it.

I walk in dog clothing, no make up and hair curlers, and a fanny pack for the poopy bags. I need new sneakers.

Grace stopped chewing the sofa.

Suky is eyeing books.

Grace ate three bras, and four of Suky's collars, three harnesses and two leashes.

Suky likes my underpants.

Suky really works to scrunch them up in her tiny mouth. Anytime she leaves the pen, comes in, or gets out of the carrier, she has to first find a pair of my panties. It's her doggy ritual.

I love these guys to pieces. And they dictate when I get up, when I can nap, when I can go to bed, or to work. It is like having children loose in the house.

I am hoping for loose leash walking and getting back to 4 miles a day (2 miles with your arms being pulled out of their sockets is all I can handle at the moment.)

Needing to loose weight, my doctor saw me recently. "You have forearms!" Yeah, and Biceps! Now to drop the gut!

There is only one way I get a moment's peace other then when I toss them into the truck and drive to San Diego. Bully Sticks! 12" sticks are a resort of a desperate woman. 20-45 minutes peace. Well, punctuated by Grace's stealing of Suky's stick (Grace must always have MORE of whatever it is. She is the Alpha. I am the pack leader.)

Grace in back (just over 1 1/2) and Suky (10 months) - Suky can't have a collar. Grace said so. They are microchipped. I have a gun. Mommy protected by beagles. Beagles protected by Dead-Eye Mommy.

Synchronized Chewing