Weekend Adventuring

I didn't realize when I moved to "Sunny" California just how sunny it would actually be here. I'd heard stories of the "perfect day", obviously, but I could only remember the warm summer from my internship here and the chilly winter I just experienced. Granted, it was sunny for most, if not all of those seasons, but nothing to make me want to send hours upon hours outdoors. And then Spring happened. I couldn't remember days like that in Colorado. Maybe I'd spent too many of my final days there indoors, hunched over a keyboard. Anyway you slice it, though, the "Perfect Day" is the only way to describe my Saturday and Sundays recently.

I use the term "Perfect Day" because I was recently asked by Rob (aka Fish, if you remember him) what my "Perfect Day" would be. I couldn't really give him an answer he wanted at the time because I could only think of days I'd recently had. Even with the small changes I would add to make them even more perfect than they were, they still weren't the far off dream day that he was aiming for. They were packed, exhausting and left little room for anything to be added, sure, but that's why they're so perfect. You should all know by now I like to keep busy and my "Perfect Days" are no exception.

This brings me to my next and main point. I think you really have to experience this point first hand (as much is allowed), so I'm going to try and do my best to give it the 3rd person perspective I think the people in the store would have had when this conversation took place.

---

It's around 6 o'clock on an oddly warm Sunday. The sun's been shining non-stop since around 8 this morning and you're enjoying the cool breeze the A/C units in the grocery store are pushing out nearly non-stop. It's a relief from the almost suffocating heat outside. You weren't expecting a day like today until the summer. It wasn't exactly welcome.

You're cruising the meats and cheese in a half-hearted state of focus while idly wondering how the petite Vietnamese woman in front of you expects you to get around her, her cart, and her three children when a laugh interrupts the quiet grocery shopping murmurs. It's loud and full of energy, unusual for a Sunday shopping trip, so your automatically drawn to the source. That's when your confusion doubles, I'm sure.

About ten feet to your left and coming this way is what appears to be a couple. The man is who was laughing, at the young woman it would seem, who was asking a question about her "hat". The term hat is applied loosely to what she is wearing because it is in fact a grocery hand basket. She has it turned over onto her head, set slightly off-kilter with the handle hanging under her chin like a bonnet tie. It is hard black plastic with "Safeway" painted on the rim. A standard issue grocery hand basket. She's carrying in her hands a package of hot dogs and a bottle of seasoning salt, things you think would be better suited to be in the basket in place of her head, but apparently she doesn't agree. Both the man and the woman are flush and slightly sun burned. Their hair is wet but wind and sun blown, and there are wet splotches on their clothing. They seem to be ignorant of their surroundings as they discuss the fashion sense of the "hat", only to weave around people and their carts like they're part of the scenery, talking over and through them. You tune into their conversation.

"You can't really complain about it's comfort, though, seeing as it was originally meant for something else." The man. He's taller than the woman by almost a foot, lanky with shining dark eyes. His smile is soft and the lines in his face imply that it is far from uncommon. Even his voice is filled with it, almost as if he speaks in smiles.

"True, but I can still whine about it. Where the heck is the hamburger meat?" The woman. Her smile is wider, taking over her whole face, cracking through the slight burn on her cheeks. She seems a little old to be wearing braces. "Dude, what is with these shoes? I swear, they just refuse to stay on my feet. Oh, wait, hang on, pre-made patties or no?"

"It's cheaper just to get the normal ground beef. Just take them off. Here it is." He gestures to the open freezer in front of him.

"I don't have enough hands to carry them. Hmm.. how much do you think?"

He chuckles. "I think your hat might help with the carrying. I think a pound would be enough. Ooooh.. now I'm craving hamburgers."

"Pound it is. You could always stick around for fooding. Just tell Heather to come down." She's staring at the meat and shifts around a few packages of ground beef before selecting one, removing her hat and transferring all her goods to it. She turns and skips back into the main aisle. Literally.

"She's not feeling up to it and I told her I'd cook for her. You said they carried Sunshine Wheat?" They're making their way towards the bakery. You turn to follow. You had to get sandwich bread anyway.

"I always stumble over it here. Dude, so I think people would get the wrong impression if they met me right now. I mean, really, they'd think I was freaking nuts."

No kidding. His laughter seems to agree with you. "While this is true, I think they would find you crazy if they met you at any point. They would have to experience a whole day to begin to understand your Tar-ness."

"So are you saying that I should require anyone interested in knowing me follow me around for a day? That'd be a first date they'd never forget. 12 hours of Tar. It has movie rights potential.."

This guy's standard response seems to be laughing. "A Day of Tar.. hmm, it does have a ring to it. I think a full 24 hours would be best, though. You don't run a typical timeline."

"Given. But I don't think any day would do. It'd have to be a day like today."

"Why today?"

"Okay, so think about it. I got up at 8, cleaned my kitchen and watched the cat chase the Roomba. Went to softball practice at 10, puppy in tow. Spent most of practice teaching girls how to bat, a guy how to field and discussing positions with the manager. Glomped you in the parking lot of Red Robin, where I proved to the waiter I did have the menu memorized, as well as the birthday song. We spent 10 minutes maneuvering your bike, my puppy and a hamburger patty into the car. We then spent 10 minutes after arriving to my apartment discussing biking swim-wear, possible biking trails, the science of hitchhiker towels. Biked to the mall where I bought discount softballs and we practiced bat twirling to psych out the competition. How's your toe, by the way?"

Another laugh. "It's tender."

"Sorry. What next? Oh yeah, rode our bikes through a railroad car lot-"

"That was awesome. I still wish I had my camera for that. We need to go back."

"Yeah. Send the ones you took with your phone to me on Monday, though. Anyway, railroad car, then getting lost in various neighborhoods until we got the Shaun's. Kidnapped him-"

"He was too willing for that. I'd say 'gently convinced'."

"True. 'Gently convinced' Shaun to join us. Went to get boba and talk about technicalities, then rode through random neighborhoods until we found Ben's house, on accident. Harassed him for ten minutes while playing musical bikes. Continued on to ride along the highway and then finally arrive at the pool. Convince a stranger to let us in, where we quickly removed our street clothes and jumped in. Get accused by a 5 year old of stealing his dolphin-"

His laughter's been slowly growing throughout her rant and it spikes again at that moment. They've been grabbing items here and there as they've gone, now they're paused in front of the buns. Looks like they're grilling.

"Are there no hot dog buns left or am I blind?"

He points at the back of the bottom shelve. "Blind, but justifiably so. Too close to the project."

"Thanks. Jump out of the pool dripping wet and bike here in swim wear. I still can't get over how gorgeous it is today. Cram two bikes into your car while drip drying in the parking lot. Then we come in here and I put a basket on my head. It's only 6, too. The day's barely began!"

You've followed them to the self-check out and you're starting to make your way to a cashier yourself when hear him ask her about a steak and if she thinks 14 miles is enough to defrost it. You've lost them.. though you're not really sure you ever really had them.

---

Love, Peace, and I know a really amazing steak recipe now.
Tar

Why I do It

This post is really not a post but a ranting. I was sharing with a friend the few pictures that I had taken with my phone while standing on the top of one of the many mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe. He made a comment and I felt the strong need to elaborate and build upon it.

"John: Damn.

John: Thats beautiful stuff.

Me: I took those pics with my phone camera

Me: Imagine the direct view

John: Yeah, it's lovely.. I always loved going into the mountains.. it makes you feel secluded, isolated.. from the world outside.

Me: And then...

You give out a cheerful yelp.. born in the bottom of your gut, built up over hours and hours of a haggled existence behind an artificial window into the infinite world of our digital subconscious.. and push yourself over the rim of the wall of snow you stand on. Gleeful screams lose themselves in your throat as you streak down the mountain, snow and pure joy trailing behind you, kicked up in a dust as the planks of wood you've strapped yourself to glide over this most beautiful expression of nature's nectar...

That is what you do in the mountains. That is what you do when there's nothing but pure white softness surrounding you.. cold and clean air, burning your lungs with it's complete lack of pollution.. That is what you do on a mountain. No matter if you have to drive two hours or ten, that is what you do.

You stumble and fall, roll and sink into clean wet bliss. You fall and laugh, getting up with your face red and stinging from this most pure expression of starting anew. You wipe yourself off, brush yourself clean and then you grin and shove off.. just to do it all over again.

You pause only to catch your breathe.. either because of the absurdly gorgeous thing that you're so utterly blessed to experience.. or because you're completely exhausted from making sure you experience it to your fullest. By the time your knees shake and your thighs burn, your eyes are hooded and the smile on your face is plastered there. You won't worry about how to get to sleep tonight. You'll just worry as to whether or not you'll make it to your bed, your bedroom, your house, your street, your town, your state.. before your body loses it's grip on the slim edge of this world's existence. That is why you do it. That is why I do it. So I can wipe myself clean, start renewed and exhausted.. the grin on my lips intense, yet slowly fading.

Until the next time.."

So it's random, and long.. and overly dramatic. But I felt the urge. I didn't know what I was writing for.. but now I realize I was writing to express what I always wanted to express when standing on the edge of a mountain. Writing to try and capture in my horrible attempt what makes me feel like I'm flying. Why I always want to go back, even if I'm sore and broke, or have to drive there and back for a total of 8 hours. I spent more time driving yesterday then skiing.. silly, but true. Next time, I'll make sure that that statement is reversed.

Love, Peace, and Happy Trails,
Tar

Lessons at the Dog Park

I took Ichi to the dog park this weekend and she had a blast. Her playmate, however, did not fair as well. That's Ichi and her favorite dog park buddy, Moniko, pictured on the right. I'll tell you before I dive into the story that Moniko is okay, just a few stitches, pain pills, and no playing for a while.

Taking your dog to the dog park is a treat for both you and your furry friend, but it's not someplace you can just let your best friend run wild. A dog park is like a playground, kids of different sizes and dispositions running around, playing and fighting like any other park. The key difference is that they can't understand you when you tell them no, and usually, other people's dogs won't listen to you anyway. You also have to be a lot more aware of the situation, watching for the signs that something bad is going to happen. Most owners don't understand their dogs, or how the interact with others. They separate innocent playing in fear of it being a real fight, they shelter and comfort the scared, driving those instincts further. This is something particularly dangerous, as it makes an animal more vulnerable to attack, like Moniko was. People also tend to overreact or get very hyped up and emotional when it comes to "emergency" or "scary" situations, which doesn't help our pets, who sense and pick up those emotions. I'm not a dog expert, but I can tell you my hypothesis as to what really happened at the park on Saturday, based on my classes at PetSmart and the few episodes of the Dog Whisperer that I've seen.

Ichi and Moniko are watching two pit bulls in that picture, waiting to see if they'd be coming in the park or not. The pits arrived at the park leash-less with two men trailing behind them and were extremely excited(1). Moniko's owner had told me earlier in the afternoon that she'd been attacked by a pit a couple of weeks ago and was telling me as I took the picture that one of the pits at the gate was the one that attacked her. Ichi and Moniko were in the large dog pin, something that's fairly common when the dogs in the large pin are particularly calm and easy-going. We decided when the pits showed up that we would move our small pups to the small pin, picking them up and walking to the back gate(2). This is when one of the men let the pits into the pin(3).

The pit that had previously attacked Moniko immediately ran to her and her owner, jumping on the man and grabbing at her exposed back side(4). The man was trying to knee the dog away and was panicking, the other dogs coming to crowd around him and jump at him as well. The pit got his teeth into Moniko and pulled her out of her owner's arms, tossing her to the ground. At this point the other owners were running to Moniko's aid, pulling dogs aside and yelling. I dropped Ichi into the small pin at this point and turned to step in(5) when I saw Moniko go flying about four feet from the ground. Her owner had picked her up again and the pit had grabbed her once again, shaking her and tossing her through the air. Someone had managed to grab the pit and was using all her strength (the dog could have easily weighed more then her) to hold him back as Moniko raced toward the exit(6), where she was snatched up and dropped into the small pin by another owner. A young man then grabbed the two pits and dragged them to the small enclosure between the pins, where he was quickly screamed at by various enraged women.

Moniko lost a decent bit of blood, considering she'd only 8 pounds to start. She had some deep puncture wounds in her thigh, but her owner seemed much more relaxed about the situation when he left a message on my phone a couple of hours later. Anyone that knows me in emergency situations knows that I tend to run unnervingly calm, and this one was no exception. I talked to the young man and got his information and then asked him to go put the attacker in his vehicle while I called animal services(7), assuring him that I'd watch the other pit. He didn't have any leashes for the dogs and had to literally drag the beast away, a feat that would have been impossible if he had to drag both of the large males. The young man had to walk the pit all the way home, as it turns out the dogs got out of the house and made their way down to the park without his (or the "owners") permission(8). While waiting for the man's return, I talked with animal services to explain the situation and get a better understanding of the steps we should be taking. The owner was still rather shaken and somewhat stunned, but I was luckily able to convince him that I would handle things there and he could take Moniko to the vet.

The rest of the story is rather boring.. filled with me waiting with the other pit, idly playing with him while Ichi had the time of her life being adored by two teenagers and their puppy. I gave a witness statement to the animal services officer, talked to her about what was going on, assured the young man I wasn't going to have him arrested, and tried my best to contain the other owner's fears of the remaining pit bull(9). The young man gave the officer his information and promised to pay for any vet bills, obviously distraught by the events. He claimed that the dogs weren't his but a friend's, and they had gotten out when he went over to see if his friend was home (he wasn't, and we're still not sure if this friend "exists" at all). It was commented a few times by the officer and other owners that I should consider getting a job at Animal Services, something I laughed off with knowing glance at the officer. The situation could have been a lot worse then it was and we were lucky that Moniko survived and the pit didn't attack anyone human. I don't mind taking the lead in emergency situations, but it's not something I want to do daily. Animal Services officers have one of the toughest jobs, in my opinion. They have to see and deal with a lot of very painful things for animal lovers and happy endings are extremely rare. The fact that the young man stuck around instead of disappearing was almost unheard of, and still amazes me. Their job is not one I take lightly, or envy.

So I know this post is getting huge, but I wanted to go ahead and highlight a few points.

(1) Cesar Millan will tell you that this is a bad thing, right off the bat. Excited dogs entering a dog park is extremely dangerous. They're more likely to attack or be attacked because they disrupt the playfully calm environment of the park. This is the thing that made me really wary of the pits, even before Moniko's owner told me that one had attacked her before.

(2) Picking up your dog is something that you typically shouldn't do. It teaches them things about when you pick them up, like it's okay to be afraid or to seek shelter in your arms. In this case, both Ichi and Moniko were still excited and were more annoyed that we paused playtime than they were "afraid". I carried Ichi like I do when I pick her up to play, not holding her to my chest or as defensively as Moniko's owner. I think this is one of the reasons the pit went after Moniko instead of Ichi, even though he had to run past Ichi and I to get to her. I radiated calm, Moniko's owner radiated fear and nervousness.

(3) The man that let the pits into the pin wasn't their owner. He was a neighbor to the dogs and knew them well, but he still shouldn't have let them in. They were off leash and extremely excited. He should have waited and looked for their owner, at the least.

(4) This one's very much my opinion, but the way he was carrying her made it rather easy to grab her. It's unfortunate, but none the less true. I walked close to the fence, ready to drop Ichi into the other pin if necessary. He walked about ten feet from the fence, unable to do anything but try and fight off a very eager pit bull.

(5) This was stupid, I know, but I felt obligated. Most of the owners at the park don't really understand how to act in this kinds of situations so my minor knowledge from classes at PetSmart and watching the Dog Whisperer (poor excuse, I know) is only better then theirs. I don't recommend stepping into a scenario like this willingly unless you're sure you know what to do.

(6) I just want to say that the woman that held the pit back was extremely lucky that he didn't turn on her. There's nothing else I can say to that, just that we were all lucky.

(7) Animal Services technically doesn't have jurisdiction in dog parks. The unusual fact that the owner wasn't around is the only thing that let them get involved. Dog parks have rules that clearly state that you're responsible for your own animals and any incidents that occur are a civil matter that must be settled between the owners, not with Animal Services. The fact that the owner of the pits wasn't there and that he'd attacked Moniko outside of the park before made it possible for Animal Services to get involved.

(8) We're still not sure if the young man was the owner or not. He seemed to have trouble remembering the owner's name when asked.

(9) Pit bulls have a bad rep, and it's incidents like this that create that. They're strong animals, both physically and willfully, and owners that don't know how to handle them are more to blame then the dog. The pit that remained at the park was a sweetie, completely submissive and calm, no threat unless provoked. I felt completely comfortable entering the pin with him and petting him. The other owners at the park were shocked and yelled in concern, something I can't really blame them for after seeing what the other pit had done. It's a shame that these dogs get profiled like they do and it's a trend that will continue if people treat them like the other owners did. The attacking pit bull is an exception in the world of pit bulls, not the standard. This doesn't mean you should go up and pet any passing pit bull, not in the slightest. You still need to be wary of them and give them the respect such a powerful breed demands, just don't expect them to be monsters, otherwise they'll become one.

Alright, that's taken all morning to write. Time to actually work. Oh, as a side note, I think Abby was trying to make it extra clear that a cat's life is the best when we got home.


Love, Peace, and Safe Dog-Parking,
Tar

What My Puppy Has Taught Me, Part 3

This is Part 3 in what seems to be a never ending arch.

Playtime
Anyone that has watched the Dog Whisperer knows how important exercise and playtime is to a dog’s happiness. Without a proper outlet for all her energy, Ichi can get pretty destructive to my apartment (and cat). She doesn’t listen to commands, runs circles through furniture, barks at anything, and chews on everything. Playtime.. is a life saver.

When Ichi was still in puppy class, I made a point to take her to the dog park after every class. She ran and ran and ran until I dragged her back to the car, where she passed out for the rest of the day. I haven’t had the motivation recently to take her, either due to my own thing or because of the dreary weather, so she’s been stuck at home with only a small track to run through all my junk. Her frustration is also starting to show through her obedience.

This is the issue I’ve noticed with myself for a long time now. If all I do is work work work, I get bitter about it. I snap more readily, roll my eyes almost constantly, and pretty much turn into a bitch. LIfe isn’t just about work. It’s not just about playtime, though. It’s a balance act, like most everything else in life. Movie and video games every once in a while goes a long way when you’ve spent hours at work. That’s another benefit about having a puppy, though. Ichi is often my reason to leave work. Before I got her I’d be at work from 9 to 8 most days, sometimes later, sometimes earlier. And what better thing to do at home but not work? Well play with the puppy, obviously.

Peace, Love, and Tennis Balls,
Tar

P.S. - If you have some time, read my post on the events at the dog park this weekend.

What My Puppy Has Taught Me, Part 2

This is the second part in a multi-part arch.

Consistency
While consistency is a huge part of raising any type of creature, it's also helpful with life in general. It's setting rules, for yourself and your puppy. If you declare that your puppy must always sit before she's allowed to say hello to people or other puppies, you have to be consistent. The same goes for tricks or basic commands. You have to use the same signals and words for each trick and command. You also have to give rewards consistently, whether they're treats, affection or toys, you always have to give them something.

I very quickly learned that these same principles are used within my everyday life. I have to be consistent with how I interact with people, and with myself. When someone does something that helps me out, I have to thank them, and give that same kind of thankfulness to everyone that helps me out. Obviously things that require more rewards are given what they deserve, but all in scale. I give the same rewards to myself, when I do something particularly difficult or deserving. I also give myself rules that I have to follow. Like always brush my teeth at least once a day, don't let people underestimate me, always give everything I can to a project, so on and so forth. Realizing that the skills that made my puppy awesome could also make me happier and eventually, more awesome, I started to be more strict with myself on being consistent. It's led to some very good results, but those are another post entirely.

Patience
Puppies aren't geniuses. I mean, yes, mine is very close.. but it still takes her awhile to realize what I what. It also takes awhile for her to learn a skill to the point that every time I say "down," she lays down. I have to be extremely patient to teach Ichi a new trick, build it up piece by piece, give her enough time to realize what I want, and then keep repeating the process. I also have to be patient when walking her.. living without a backyard is probably the best way to learn patience. When Ichi was still being potty trained, I had to walk her out to the patch of grass across the way every hour or so. And even then I had to stand there and wait for her to find the perfect spot. Sometimes she found it, sometimes not. Eventually I could wait to take her out every two hours, three, four, until now we're at about 5. Which is very convenient.

Learning patience is probably one of the most valuable skills that Ichi has taught me, so far. I'm more willing to wait, more able to wait. I build up to things piece by piece instead of trying to just jump right to building the final product. That can be applied to building anything, from material goods to financial status to relationships. It's an obvious concept, often overlooked.

Love, Peace, and Puppy Kisses,
Tar

What My Puppy Has Taught Me, Part 1

It’s been said that if you raise a puppy from full-out puppydom to hard working adult you’ll have learned a lot of the skills that come with raising a child. First time parents that have raised a puppy aren’t as stressed and react more calmly when something happens. They understand the importance of scheduling, consistency, and a good carpet cleaner. Waking up at the crack of dawn for diaper changes and feedings is easier than waking up to find Fido chewing on your down comforter and peeing on your pillow (or, god help, pooping on your pillow). Oh, and don’t forget the ability to speak in baby-talk. That’s something that you learn very quickly with a puppy.

There’s some advantages that raising a puppy has over raising a child, and some obvious disadvantages. I think my favorite advantage is the speed. Accidents and potty training lasts for only a fraction of the time, as with midnight wake-up barks and destruction of prized comforters and pillows. They don’t understand what you’re saying, though.. so you can’t eventually have a talking companion as with a child. They’ll never leave you, like a grown child would, which may or may not be a bad thing depending on the dog and the child.

So in raising my bouncing Corgi Ichiko, I’ve learned and practiced a lot of skills that will help me in my “full adult” life, which is to say “when I have kids.” I’ve compiled this list, that's broken up over several posts, for all those wishing to have a little insight into the life of a single chick living with a cat who thinks she’s a dog and a dog who thinks everyone and everything was put on this planet to play with her. Or, you know, if you just want to have a laugh.

Scheduling
I never was a stickler for keeping a tight schedule, even when I was in college and trying to keep 5-6 jobs from not crashing into each other. Try as I might, I was never able to stick to a schedule for more than a week or two. Enter Ichiko. I learned very quickly that if I didn't get her (and myself) onto a schedule, I'd be getting way less sleep and way more accidents then I bargained for. I had to feed her at relatively the same time everyday, let her out every couple of hours, make sure she didn't get food or water however many hours before bedtime, and get her to sleep at close to the same time every night. If I didn't follow this schedule well enough, she'd be crying at 3 in the morning to go potty.. and once she was awake, she was AWAKE.

So I soon learned that the best thing to do was stick to a schedule. She taught me that unless I kept her up past 11, I'd be getting up before 7. Getting up at 7 actually is nice for work, so I decided that I'd keep her with her natural clock and just adapt mine to her's. Now I am exhausted and looking for bed at around 11 every night and up and at them no later then 8 every morning. On weekends, when I used to sleep in until noon, I now wake up at 9. Not only has picking up my dog's schedule helped balance my life between work and play, I feel more energized throughout the day.

So the moral of this story is: Stick to a sleep schedule. You'll feel better about yourself and once you get really into it, you won't need 4 alarm clocks to wake up in the morning. Just a cellphone and a puppy.

Until next time,
Tar

Cubed Moss Stitch Scarf

So now that I'm not in college anymore, should I change the title of the blog? I think so..

Anyway, this is so I can post a pattern for a scarf I made up. I ended up making it on accident, I think, but I loved it so much I kept going with it and it became a gift for a friend. And then my mom wanted one so I have to make it for her too. It's rather simple pattern, easy to shrink or expand to your gauge, yarn, or desired size of scarf.

Cubed Moss Stitch Scarf

Yarn: Jiffy's Thick & Quick
Needles: US 11
Gauge: Not Important

Cast on an even number of stitches, S, divisible by 4
Row1 & R2: *K2, P2* to end
R3 & R4: *P2, K2* to end

Repeat Rows 1-4 until you have what looks to be a square (the length, done in L rows, is equal to the width [Note: L may not equal S])

Then, starting new row count:
---------------------
Row1: K(S/2), P(S/2)
Repeat R1 until you have L/2 rows (including R1)
R(L/2 + 1): P(S/2), K(S/2)
Repeat previous row until you have gone L/2 rows
---------------------

Begin original rows 1-4. Repeat until desired length is almost reached. Repeat section between the --- once more, going for the same amount of rows as before. Then repeat the first section for the same amount of rows. Cast off & finish.