Thankful, Day 13

Today I'm thankful for the weekend. I appreciate the time to recuperate from the week. Here's what I did this weekend:

*took time off from running
*slept in to 9ish both yesterday and today
*got ahead on reading for a quiz in one of my classes
*wrote a letter to a friend
*took my pup and the pup I'm puppy-sitting to the dog park
*laid out by the pool for a couple of hours

What did you do this weekend?

Thankful, Days 11 & 12

Day 11

Thanks to health insurance and health funds I didn't have to pay a penny out of pocket when I went to the doctor for my back. So nice.

Day 12

Thankful for the opportunity to return a favor for a friend in watching their puppy, Angie.

Labor Day Weekend

I've never been so excited to have a

weekend. Why? Well, this year I am driving home with one of my best friends, Sam,

and my baby girl, Heidi,

to do some serious camping!

Today I vacuumed, washed, waxed and organized my car in preparation for the trip.

It's gonna be a long haul from Florida to Indiana!

We'll probably make it in about 18 hours. We will have CD books, MadLibs and snacks to make this  

a ton of fun. We're pretty excited. This will be Sam's first visit to the great Midwest!

We'll be passing through Atlanta, Georgia,

Chattanooga, Tennessee,

and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Then we'll brush past Cincinnati, Ohio,

before entering

AKA:

Something I've missed out on for a couple years is Sno-Castle! We're gonna have to get some on our way to the camp site.

Then, while camping, I'll spend some time near the camp fire cooking the perfect s'more,

enjoy some boating,

and play some Euchre!

Oh, I can hardly wait! T-minus 3 days!

Palm Trees for Mountains

If you haven't heard the news yet, I'm moving to Denver in T-minus 31 days. I'm trading in the palm trees for the mountains.

I will certainly miss Orlando. Florida has grown on me so much. I have enjoyed the easy access to the beach, rooting myself for a time, starting the book club and making so many friends.

But I've always wanted to live in Colorado, and now is the right time for me to make the move. I love mountains - the hiking, the camping, the skiing. I can hardly wait for the the weather. I'm good on the sweltering, sticky summers and am craving a real winter. Did you know that Denver has more sunny days per year than Orlando? Mhmm!

I have a base of friends in Denver already (some from Purdue, some who've moved from Orlando to Denver and some from work), so that'll be nice. I am excited to move to a more dog-friendly and outdoorsy area!

Yes, I'm still going to be working for Lockheed Martin. I've been getting that one a lot.

I'm super excited that my dad is able to help me with the move. My grandpa might be helping, too! I'm so lucky to have them!

I started packing today. Ya gotta start on that early to keep the stress levels low.

That's all for now. Check back soon!

Cheers,

Amanda

Paws in the Park 2011

Yesterday I walked around Lake Eola for the Paws in the Park 2011, a Central Florida SPCA fundraiser for which I raised $155. Thank you to all who donated funds to help the local pets and shelters! Heidi and I had a blast at the walk, and Heidi had WAY too many Milk Bones as we passed by all of the vendor booths. Favorite item collected: a clip/1 cup scoop thing for Heidi's dog food bag to keep the food fresh; now I can use my 1 cup scoop for baking purposes again!

Heidi and I taking a photo mid-way through the walk around the lake. Isn't she cute in her cheerleader outfit?! Everyone LOVED it! Go Purdue!

Here is Heidi sitting pretty after the walk:

And my new favorite photo with my girl:

17th Annual Paws in the Park

The 17th Annual Paws in the Park walk is on Saturday, 12 February 2011 at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando, Florida. Last year Heidi and I raised $70 more than my original goal! This year my goal is $100, and I’m hoping to surpass it, too!

Above is a photo the Mutts on a Mission Pack Leader, Kurt Bouwman, sent me recently – it’s a photo of me and Heidi back in February of this year at the 16th Annual Paws in the Park walk. = ) She was so teeny and fluffy! If you want to read about last year’s event and see photos, check out this blog post.

I hope you consider making a donation to make a difference in the lives of thousands of animals by sponsoring or participating in the SPCA of Central Florida's Annual "Paws In The Park.” If you can’t give, but know someone who can, please pass this on to them - it can’t hurt to ask!

To Sponsor My Fundraising:

1. Please visit my Personal Fundraising Page and consider helping me by making a secure online donation now by clicking here
2. Click "Sponsor Me"
3. Continue with donation
4. Return to my sponsor page
5. Leave a message on my fundraising wall = )
6. When you make an online donation, I will be notified by email of your support and you will automatically receive an e-tax receipt from the SPCA of Central Florida.

To Participate with My Pack in Fundraising and the Walk:

1. Navigate to this website
2. Click "Sign Up"
3. Accept the waiver
4. Join as a pack member
5. Search for the pack name "Mutts on a Mission"
6. Select "Mutts on a Mission" team name
7. Click "Join this Team"
8. Continue with registration

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you for your support!

Heidi Update

Lots has been going on for my Miss Heidi. She had a vet visit yesterday that was particularly helpful. The crux of the visit was for her lip sore, which I accurately researched and found to be localized demodex canis mites. Don't fret; it's not contagious. $45 later the vet prescribed a gel to kill off the overly active mites. Did you know that all dogs have mites all over them that live in parasitic bliss? Gross, huh? Reminds me of the hippo and teeny tiny bird team... sort of.

Anyway, got the lip sore sorted out; should be healed up in 2 weeks. The vet also said he wanted to see Heidi pack on 5 pounds in the next 4 weeks. For months she's been holding consistently at 55 pounds. And, trust me, I have been working diligently to get her to eat regularly and consistently. I think she's developed into being a picky eater. Anyway, he recommended adding wet food to her dry food. So far it's worked like a charm. Hopefully this trick stands the test of time. I can already tell she's happier with a full tummy.

As Heidi has hit her 12-month mark, and being a German Shepherd Dog, she's been pushing some of my buttons. It's been a bit stressful being a puppy momma, but it's also one of those things where we're both learning. She's smart and is catching on quickly to what is acceptable and unacceptable. I think I'm going to see how she does outside of the crate this week while I'm at work. She's proven herself to be a good girl around the apartment for the last week and a half.

Saturday I took Heidi to a beautiful, hidden gem in Orlando: the Greenland Urban Wetlands. It's a walking park that used to be a landfill. Heidi was well-behaved, and I was able to let her off the leash for a while. Her, Bella, Mardigan, Gabbie, Carmela and Tito's Beagle had a lovely puppy playdate while Jessica, David, Heather, Chris, Tito, Doug and I got to visit with one another and enjoy cinnamon sugar pita chips! Mmm!



Heidi's First Birthday

The Sunday before last I baked some yummy dog biscuits from scratch and took Heidi to her favorite place, the Waterford Lakes Dog Park, to celebrate her first birthday! She even let me get a photo with her wearing a party hat!

Becky, Bill & Angie celebrated, too! They even gave Heidi a present: a bone with meat filling! Delicious!

Carlos and Pabst wished her a happy birthday, too!

Some fellow Purdue and Colts fans, Chuck and his wife, and their dog, Maggie, had fun with us at her birthday party.

Here's a great shot of the pretty birthday girl!

My friend, Zach, came out for the party! It was so nice to see him after having traveled a lot in the last couple months.

Afterwards Heidi got down to business with the present from Angie!

Lately

Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk at Lake Eola, downtown Orlando, FL
Last week's walk was a blast! I was happy to raise $150 to support the Alzheimer's Association. Heidi and I ended up missing the puppy costume contest due to lack of event organization, but it was still great fun. I really enjoyed letting people say hello to Heidi, who did super well - even with the little ones, and the older ones who likely suffered from some degree of Alzheimer's. Saturday was for you, Grandma.

Halloween at Wall Street, downtown, Orlando, FL
I dressed up as a black cat and went out with Jessica, her friend, Heather and her boyfriend. It was great fun to check out all the costumes. Typical Halloween, minus all the drinking.

Completed October Challenge with a 100% Success Rate
So proud of myself! Thanks to all who supported me!

New Nike+ Challenge
I'm doing a the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on 8 January 2011. I start my training (a Nike+ plan) this week. I'm cross-training with yoga and cycling.

Devoting Time to Etsy Shop: amara | 86
Ramping up for the holiday season. Christmas tree skirts, Christmas stocking sets, and the best-selling 13" MacBook sleeve. Let me know if you have a need; I am accepting custom orders.

Finished The Hunger Games Trilogy
Loved it. The new Harry Potter?

Family News
          Mom - also training for the half marathon in January; we're running it together! Hoping to beat 2 hours!
          Dad -keeping busy; went to do some target practice with Grandpa tonight.
          Chucky - he's never been happier! He's LOVING BUD/S! Pray for him as Hell Week approaches.
          Sam - he's never been happier, either! He LOVES college life and his new wrestling family!
          Heidi - just a few weeks shy of her first birthday. I'm having a party for her at the dog park this Sunday. She's hit that obstinate "teenager" phase with some destruction, but overall she's doing great!
          Ashes - surviving Heidi and being super affectionate when I read in bed at night.

PetSmart Costume Contest

 Last Saturday was the Waterford Lakes Town Center PetSmart Puppy Howl-o-Ween Costume Contest. I made Heidi her costume; she was a beautiful Purdue University Cheerleader! Look at that golden Purdue "P" and all those shiny sequins! (She totally hated wearing the bow.)

Me with Heidi in her costume!

All good athletes know the value of stretching!

Before the contest

Onyx the Rottweiler was a Karate/Boxer and won the contest!

Hugh Hefner and the Girls Next Door

Heidi's First Heat Cycle

Heidi started her first heat cycle yesterday. Puppy puberty. Gross, I know, but going through this as a dog-owner for the first time has been a bit of an experience. I noticed Heidi was cleaning herself quite a bit lately, and so, to be sure things were okay, I lifted her leg and checked things out. She was super swollen! I freaked out: oh-my-god-she-has-a-tumor!-wait-what-is-that-exactly?-what-if-she's-prego?!-I'd-better-call-Dad-stat!

It's sort of repulsive, but here's what I saw (the top bit of fur is her tail; side bits are her thighs):

So, after talking to Dad and some research on the subject I realized that no, she isn't pregnant; yes, she is fine; yes, this is all very normal. I also got some bad news: no more runs or dog park visits with Heidi while she's in heat. Turns out that male dogs can smell females in heat from miles away and will go to great lengths, even harming themselves, to mount the female. I'm going to steer clear of all that jazz.

Having a female who isn't spayed can be messy. Heidi has done a great job keeping things tidy, if you ask me - at least so far. She did drip a bit on the carpet, though, so I had to take care of that. I also decided to pick up some doggie diapers. Yes, doggie diapers; you read that correctly. They look a little something like this:

Surprisingly enough she has not bothered it at all. And it has been helpful in giving me ideas on how to design and sew doggie clothes. She's doing really well; lots of lounging around and taking it easy while her hormones do their thing.

From what I've been told, heat cycles last about 3 weeks. Of those 3 weeks, the dams only bleed during the first week or so. Heat cycles occur once every 6 months-ish.

If you have any tips about tending to a female in heat, please send them my way.

Dog Costumes

In the spirit of Halloween and dog-loving, please enjoy this photo:

Next week I'm going to make Heidi's Halloween costume. The plan is to make her a Purdue Cheerleading outfit.

Also, here are some more dog costume photos from the doggie newsletter my grandma sends me.

October is Adopt-a-Dog Month

October is Adopt-a-Dog Month!



Heidi & I at the Waterford Lake Dog Park, Summer 2010


If you have been bouncing around the idea of adopting a dog, I want to take this opportunity to give you a nudge in the direction of doing it! Dogs make great companions, and you will quickly find that you are very happy when your puppy is happy. Getting Heidi has been one of my life's biggest joys. She's my baby, and I love her so much. I love knowing that when I put the key in the door she will stop whatever she's doing and come to the door to give me a warm greeting.

Here are some things I thought heavily on before I got Heidi:

• Can I afford a dog? Owning a dog is expensive in the first year with all the vaccinations, health checks, puppy food, toys, etc. After the first year the costs drop considerably, but you'll need to make sure you can afford to properly support your puppy financially for the span of its life beforehand.
• Do I have time for a dog? Dogs require a lot of attention. They have specific needs and things can quickly go down-hill if these needs aren't satisfied. For example, a dog needs to be outside to relieve himself 2-3 times a day at the minimum; MANY more times a day when he is a puppy and still potty training. By the way, by about 4 months the puppy should be potty trained; at least that's how long it was until Heidi had it down pat. She's almost 11-months-old now and has had just a few accidents inside the apartment.
• Why do I want a dog? So many reasons! Not in any order, here are some reasons that made me want a dog: protection for a young, single, white female, companionship, something to nurture, tend after, and love on (Ashes is great, but dogs are so much different than cats in this respect). The biggest reason for me was companionship.
• Can my living environment handle a dog? Be sure to take into account your home and whether it would be a good fit for a dog. German Shepherds make for great apartment dogs, so that's worked out well. On top of that, I make sure to socialize and exercise Heidi a lot since her breed needs that to stay happy and healthy. If I didn't work with Heidi and just kept her holed up in the apartment, she wouldn't make for a very good apartment dog, so keep this aspect of owning a dog and breeds in mind.
• What if the dog destroys everything in my home? This is part of the deal, especially with puppies. I made sure to keep valuables out of Heidi's reach, and so she didn't have a lot of opportunity to destroy things. To date she's only ruined a yoga mat, a broom stick, a hand towel and one pair of shoes. Not always such a happy scenario for other dog owners, but it's possible if you take the time to pick up after yourself. There are a ton of techniques and sprays which help with this. Potty training is another area where you have to accept that there will be messes. Just keep reminding yourself that it doesn't last forever. Exercise and socialization are huge ways to ward off a dog's destructive chewing nature. When they are stimulated in healthy ways they won't feel the need to go relieve some stress by chomping on your Minolos.

Besides! Against the tricky questions and situations mentioned above, there are so many benefits to having a dog! The list is really endless - from health benefits to making friends at the dog parks - they have huge potential to supplement your life. Heidi is the apple of my eye! I thank God every day for her being a part of my world.

If you have any questions about owning a dog, please don't hesitate to ask me! I would love to help you in your decision about whether adopting a dog is right for you. For more information, go here!

Woof!

Amanda

Please Help Keep Fleet People's Dog Park!

I've just learned that the City of Winter Park wants to do away with one of the nation's BEST dog parks, Fleet People's Dog Park. I know Heidi LOVES this dog park, especially with the lake and all the space to run around. Please support the effort of keeping the dog park by completing the survey, linked below. Thank you so much for you help!

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In order to present relevant data to the City of Winter Park and to let them know that the Fleet Peeples Park is important to the residents of Winter Park and also to the residents of the neighboring cities and towns, please fill out this brief survey below.

The results will be viewed by concerned civic groups and will be presented to the Parks Board Commissioners of the City of Winter Park.

Please copy and paste the link to this survey into an email and PLEASE send it to anyone you know who comes to the park. Our success will be measured in numbers, so please ask as many people as you know to fill out this survey.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cGc4ei1LMlZIdno5bkdzNnVwQ1JwZFE6MA

Poodle Contest

Another email from my awesome Grandma: video of a poodle contest. My favorites are the Panda, the Dragon, the Bison and the Steeler's Football Player! Do you think Heidi would let me dye her coat blue for the Colts?

SloMo Vid of Dogs Catching Treat

Dog Article Notes

My friend, Matt, has been flying back and forth from Virginia for some work travel lately, and he read an airline magazine article that he shared with me. It's an article from Southwest Airlines Spirit, June 2010. The article contained several tips and resources for providing a happy life to your canine friend. Here are some that I really liked:

• Keep a record of your dogs vaccination/veterinarian history in your car in case of emergency
• Take Your Dog to Work Day is 24 June 2011 (just missed this year, although I really wonder about whether Lockheed Martin would allow me to bring Heidi into the office)
• Doggie Days
• 23 March - National Puppy Day
• 28 March - International Guide Dog Day
• April - Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Month
• 1st Week of May - American Humane Association's Be Kind to Animals Week
• 21 August - International Homeless Animal's Day
• 26 August - National Dog Day
• October - American Humane Association's Adopt-a-Dog Month
• 2 December - National Mutt Day
• Good Dog Books
• "Dogs are from Neptune"
• "Bones Would Rain from the Sky"
• "The Other End of the Leash"
• Therapy Dogs International website: tdi-dog.org
• Run races with your dog: dogrundog.com
• Train your dog to ring a bell by the door when they need to go outside

"No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich." -Louis Sabin

Thanks for sharing, Matt!

WL Evening

I took Heidi to the Waterford Lakes Dog Park, again, tonight. Another lovely evening and friendly dogs and owners. Heidi really likes this dog park. Tonight she even hopped in the little pool!

After the dog park we went over to the WL Town Center. I had a coupon for a small sub, chips and a drink at Quizno's - all for $3.19! We stopped by PetSmart. She lost a pound since last time I weighed her. The vet assistant said it's nothing to worry about just as humans fluctuate in weight a little bit. I gave her some treats while we were there. I decided to "treat" myself to something Sweet! Sweet is a little cupcake and frozen yogurt shop I've been aiming to check out for about three years. Finally did, and for $6 I received 4 mini cupcakes: Red Velvet, Toasted Marshmallow, Heath and Carrot Cake. I had the Heath one tonight and I am greatly impressed! The icing was just like a Heath bar! And there was toffee stuff on the bottom! Mmm!

On the way there a little boy asked to pet Heidi. I still had some treats from PetSmart, so I helped him give Heidi commands so he could reward her with the treats. Also, some nice young girls offered to hold Heidi while I popped into Sweet to make my purchase. It's nice to know there are kind folks out there.

Heidi & Eva playing

Taking a breather and looking pretty against the green grass

Pool time!

SloMo Vid of Dog Drinking Water

My Grandma is on an email list for dogs. Sometimes she sends me things, and this time she sent a slow-motion video of a dog drinking water. Fascinating how they lap the water up - - - backwards could you call it? They're tongue acts like a reversed spoon. Who knew?!

WL Dog Park

Tonight I had the great pleasure of spending the evening with Heidi at a new dog park: the Waterford Lakes Dog Park. It's a stone's throw away, has friendly folks and dogs, water, a dog-i-pot, benches for the humans and GRASS rather than sand which is outstanding! The weather was super cooperative after a really hot and humid day, so we were there for a couple hours. I always mean to get some reading in while Heidi frolics around, but I really enjoy watching her play, dog watching and chatting with the other dog owners. It all makes me smile.

Heidi with Bailey (Boston Terrier exiting the photo) and Max (whom Heidi romped around with quite a bit)

There was a sweet, old Great Pyrenees and his nice owner was the favorite among all the dogs because he gave them really great back scratches. He gave Anslow (his Great Pyrenees) a back scratch and caused some shedding; as you can see, Heidi caught some of the fluff and just left it there for a good while.

Scratchin'. It's what dogs do.

A new favorite photo of me and my girl!

In other news... Work went along okay. Busy in the morning, training in the afternoon. The training is good, but time passes slowly. I didn't get up early enough to run with Heidi, but it turned out to be a good ting since it was ridiculously humid even at the early hours of the morning. I'm going to run with her tomorrow morning, weather permitting. So I guess the running this week will be Tuesday, Thursday Saturday again. That's fine.

Normally grocery shopping wouldn't be considered news, but I stumbled upon a gem! P.F. Chang's makes microwavable steam meals!!! I had one over the weekend and am awestruck! The General Chang one is good, and tomorrow I'll try the Ginger Chicken & Broccoli! Mmmm!

I announced the book for August tonight: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Anyone read that one? I read up on it, and it sounds really good, so I'm excited!