KATIE LU IS TWO!!

 

Woohoo… Katie Lu is two!

And to celebrate her arrival into the world, she lit up all my socials, to a plethora of heart felt birthday wish across numerous platforms.

That said, I don’t like to think of my dogs as 'Facebook famous', but I will admit that they all have acquired their own hashtags and are never camera shy when duty calls.

Note: The word cookie may have been used to achieve her beautiful birthday portrait this morning. #yagottalaughaboutit

PS: A happy 63^rd birthday goes out to my big bro today as well.

PSS: Cheers to these two beauties having a great day!

TRAVEL DAY DROWSY

The three of us, in the air mid flight.
Just look at my sister on the end.
Adamant that she was unable to sleep on a plane!
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 13th, 2024

When it comes to taking a vacation, coordinating great flight times has become an obsession of mine. Simply because we discovered more than a decade ago, arriving into YYZ in the middle of the night was a hard NO for my travel buddy hubby and I; no matter how big the savings were.

Now, when my sister decided she wanted to join us at our favourite Mayan Riviera resort for a week, I warned her of our early departure intentions, which in turn secured us a midday return flight the following week. 

Her big concern was, "...I can't sleep on a plane." In her defense, we are far more seasoned travelers than she. We can fall asleep as soon as those booming jet engines are engaged before we back away from the gate.

Staying at a hotel close to the airport the night of the 12th to be ready for a 5am Air Canada check-in, her travel anxiety was firing on all cylinders and she was up all night. 

When we woke early on our travel day morn, she was curled up in the TV room with a blanket. Once again anxiously reaffirming to us, again, "...I can't sleep on a plane."

Knowing we were dealing with her lack of sleep, her next hurdle was to adjust to the fact that the Toronto airport is one of the most technically savvy in the world. Your cell phone and your airline app, have essentially replaced paper for a swift progression through check-in, customs, and security.

Not to judge, rather paint a digital technology picture, my sister has an old school flip phone. One she is very proud of I might add. So, we hooked her up with an older android phone we had, and as uncomfortable (and overtired) as she was, she was good to go. 

So much so, that as soon as we checked in to our very large resort, I made sure she was comfortable calling us using a VoIP app I had set up for her. As I wanted to make communication between our rooms worry free.

On a final note. I wanted to touch on the fact that the word 'can't' has never been one I have ever embraced. For me, my mantra is really 'die trying...'  and I always seem to figure it out!

That said, I wish my sister would delete the sucker from her thesaurus, or at least aspire to try to minimize its use. 

Because, as you can see in my photo above... She really CAN sleep on a plane!!

MY HEAP-O-HELP

Our sweet Katie taking inventory of
every one of her sticks being burned
TAKEN: OCTOBER 24th, 2024

Up until my beloved Annie passed, I use to introduce her fur followers Miya and Katie like this.

"Meet our Miya, she is absolutely beautiful." Then, I would continue with,  "this is her little sister Katie... And she is simply beaut-EVIL!" 

It's always grabbed me a laugh to whomever was meeting them for the first time. But now that they are officially a pack of two, this little one has settled into not having to act out like she did, which I always felt was her puppydom combined with her need to be the center of attention.

At a mere twenty three months of age, I realize now how she struggled to fit in a pack of three. She always respected Annie as her pack leader, yet from the day she arrived, she terrorized Miya incessantly. I am pleased to report that said behavior has stopped since my sweet girl left us.

Now, I'm not in anyway leading you to believe that she has a halo over her head but her need to dominate over Miya is now very focused. 

You see, her retrieving instincts are so deeply routed through her DNA that we have to expel the energy multiple times daily. Frisbees, nerf footballs, rubber pigs, and of course wooden sticks.

Take a dog with no fear, that vibrates when you pick up a stick, and you can imagine how hard it is to do yardwork with a fire going. I'm not kidding when I type that I have to throw a stick into the gully before I place sticks on the fire; because I am afraid she'll jump in to fetch them.

Think a toddler sticking its tongue out an accessible electrical socket. Her extreme personality makes one of my very favourite outdoor chores, extremely stressful.

Which you would never guess by the angelic expression of joy she shoots at me whenever a fire is burning close by!

SHOVELING SUNSHINE

With only about 30% of the front leaves fallen,
it was time to start getting them moved into the gully.
TAKEN: OCTOBER 16th, 2024

It started last week. For my afternoon work break, I started shoveling the fallen leaves.  

You read that right, ‘shoveling’.

By dusk Thursday I knew I would spent the weekend in town, rather than going into the cottage. Simply because it hadn’t rained, and everything was dry. Shoveling dry foliage is much easier than the wet soaked crap, so by supper Saturday, though I was spent, all the leaves that had fallen to date were processed.

For those that have never tried it, I have been shoveling for years. You can simply move ten times more leaves by pushing them into the desired piles with a large snow scoop, rather than whisking a rake into the air trying to target where you want them to land if the wind cooperates.

I know I must look silly going through the motions, but I don't care. Believe it or not, my shovelling effort work more effectively than either of the two leaf blowers we own. Three if you count my travel buddy hubby plugging one of them in.

With 90% of the folks on the street retired and me working from home, I see and hear them moving leaves for weeks before we get on the band wagon. For us, it is a balance of finding the best time to blitz them, which usually happens when I see my neighbour next door blowing leaves back onto our lawn.

As I have always written here, I love fall. And this year has been a particularly memorable one weather wise.

The only downfall is I know what is on the way, and it is white, heavy, really annoying, and ALWAYS outstays its welcome.

Kind of like Donald Trump!

#yagottalaughaboutit 

FOR WHAT IT’s WORTH

My wee Annie taking in views
from her new anti-anxiety bed.
TAKEN: AUGUST 23rd, 2024

For what it’s worth, I hope I never experience another summer like the one I'm currently living. As I go through the motions for the last long weekend of the season, I am folding like a lawn chair and willingly admitting that I am spent.

Between medical trauma at home, multiple personal losses of loved ones, and day to day work stresses, this past week was the last straw. We were worried we were going to have to say goodbye to our Annie. 

Then, after a visit to the vet yesterday, and $400 later, she is home. They have no clue why she is ailing and what is going on with her. Par for the course for the summer of 2024; as it has been a summer of limbo. 

Seriously, the only thing missing from that visual being the catchy tune playing and Chubby Checker singing, because yours truly has been bending over backwards (to the point of breaking) since mid May.

That said, I want everyone to know that I know better than most the symptoms of depression. I honestly don’t feel depressed, simply overwhelmed and ultimately deflated.

What I will share, is that come hell or high water, this whole ‘one step forward, four steps backward’ bullshit needs to come to an end.

And though I try and pride myself on keeping my glass half full, somedays it feels like the water has been turned off at the spigot and the lake in front of me drained dry.

Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t all doom and gloom. I know my fear of the unknown is making me feel uncertain, which I have alluded to in previous posts.

Anyway, the other side of my ‘bitching about my really shitty summer coin’ is my more immediate remedy to help my negative mindset will be loudly listening to the Top 500 countdown on Rock95 outside all weekend. Forecast says it may be under an umbrella, as we have scheduled rain in the forecast.

See, that’s the forward and backward thing I just referenced. 

Hey, maybe I was just meant to master the Cha-Cha this summer. If that’s the case, call Dancing With The Stars.

...Because these last three months have deemed me a freaking PRO in that category!

#yagottalaughaboutit

STORMY WEATHER REFLECTIONS

Only once, in all of our holiday travels, have I been scared. 

We had arrived in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, and in the middle of our first night and for the entire second day, an unexpected storm causing a flash flood ensued. We were hunkered down in our room, completely blindsided and pretty much gobsmacked at what was swirling around us.

By the time the sun rose, the pools at our large resort were overflowing, the roads in and out of the 1000+ room hotel were washed out. We were officially stranded.

This, in a lot of ways, is how both my travel buddy hubby and I have felt the last five weeks since his accident. And what we did then, is what we are doing now. 

Grabbing on for dear life, keeping the other safe, inserting a ton of humour into the situation; while exploring everything as much as we possibly can.

Rhondi Rule #506: When caught in stormy weather
... Just go with it!

Top Photo: The night before the storm hit
TAKEN: November 27th, 2019

Lower Photo: Just hubby and me on the beach !!
(Mid afternoon during the storm)
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 28th, 2019

My personal struggle in both situations, is that I have an extreme fear of the unknown. As a result, in my current state I am not sleeping as I should because my mind simply won't shut off. To compound things, I work from home, and my husband is housebound here as well. 

The truth of the matter is that we are both going stir crazy. Only being able to access two of our three floors, our living quarters are close. So, today on my lunch break, we began watching travel videos on YouTube. Not because there will be any travel in our future but because we are of the mindset that we will never say never.

On a more comical positive front, this morning we both laughed a hearty belly laugh as I cracked my first joke with regards to our situation at hand. I know we will be A-OK, because he also laughed then commented...

'Here we go', he said.  Already starting with the stroke jokes!!'

#yagottalaughaboutit

BORINGLY NORMAL NO LONGER

As the saying goes, life as we know it can change in a heartbeat. And in the last month, my travel buddy hubby and I are living proof that one day life can be boringly normal and in a nanosecond, it can be anything but.

Nothing prepares you for a life altering change. At one moment, my husband was kissing me goodbye on an early morning. 

Then, before we knew it, we were waiting for confirmation when he would be air lifted to St. Michael’s Hospital trauma unit. 

He moved, and once he arrived, he had emergency surgery to stop the internal bleeding, and by 1am the following morn, we knew the left leg would be saved and we were ready to boldly face the next hurdle. 

With his severely irregular heart arrhythmia challenges and no ability to administer those drugs with the brain bleeding still on the table; the worst fear was he’d have a stroke

Sunday led to Monday, and good progress had us out of the trauma unit the following Thursday, with him moved into a room. 

We had been nine days in the trauma trenches and survived, when early morning call came the following morning.

“During the night (at approximately 3am on May 31st) Mr. Peacock suffered a stroke.” The stroke team neurologist shared. 

“A blood clot left his heart and travelled to his brain. His right side and speech have been affected,” she continued. Not even remotely prepared to hear the words, I went numb. Again, we were back together, with me witnessing he was both physically and mentally spent.

Just a little over a month since our 'boringly normal life changed', we couldn't help but reflect this morning on the fact that tonight we were to be at Soldier Field in Chicago with 70,000 other Kenny Chesney fans to enjoy his Sun Goes Down Tour.

Thought we aren't in Chicago, we decided to blow the doors off and tour the local grocery store circuit together. 

We did a solid double header (in reference to the fact that we had tickets for Wrigley Field yesterday). 

First up was Food Basics, then we opened the sunroof and cruised to the other side of town to hit Wal-Mart. Radio blaring, no pups to worry about, we were hitting our semi-normal stride.

Kenny vs. Recovery. 
Thumbs up says it all!
Left - (c) Kenny Chesney Instagram
Right - TAKEN: June 15th, 2024

Because I am listening to Kenny live on #noshoesnation on Sirius as I type, I am sharing where our seats would have been for the concert tonight with a yellow dot on the left. 

Impressive, but it is the photo on the right that truly makes my heart swell with joy, as he is officially out and about and ultimately on the right side of the soil.

That said, Lord knows if that sexy cart he was navigating today was a four-wheeler, he probably would have immediately rolled it in the produce section... taking out all of the organic tomatoes!

Too soon?

#yagottalaughaboutit

Z IS FOR ZOUNDS

Zounds! That is another April A-Z Challenge behind me.

Great 'z' word, too bad I didn't come up with it on my own. I read that the word is used to express surprise or indignation - so it was perfect. I'm surprised as well as a tad angered that I couldn't come up with a word on my own.

I don't know if any of my readers can relate, but I always get blocked for the my last few letters of the challenge. This year I had to head to Goggle to help me end my plight AND just like last year, I had to back date my final post.

The last few letters are always a slog. I believe in the eleven years I have done the challenge, only the first three were completed daily and on schedule. In fact, I backdated my  'from the achieves' effort because once the month had passed I decided that I didn't want to stop writing. 

This year, I was surprised how well I did each day on the fly. Very little filler, and I made an honest effort. The fact that I have never used the same word twice - is making each year more difficult. 

As I close out the 2024 challenge, my last task is to post a picture of someone/something that can anger me, frustrate me, but can also surprise me in general.

Thanks again for reading. It is truly appreciated.

Rhondi

Zounds! I can't believe she had to use Google!!
(#yagottalaughaboutit)
TAKEN: JULY 1976

W IS FOR WANDERING

Miya Maria and Katie Lulu
My famous Facebook wanderers.
(Photo copyright Meta via Muskoka Bulletin Board)

Because I am fortunate enough to work from home and run a doggie daycare hand in hand, I will confess that I steer a tight ship and an even tighter daily schedule. 

I know I shouldn’t laugh, but in all fairness, what I am about to share is really quite comical.

I will start by disclosing that we do NOT let our dogs wander willy-nilly. We have a large yard, yet once in a blue moon they make a break for it. Kind of like George Clooney in O Brother, Where Art Thou?

On this particular morn, break arrives and out the door they go. Annie heads into the gully and the other two follow. I call immediately from the back deck and only one of three return. I continued to call but no furbabies appeared. On go the Crocs, and to the top of the hill I go.

I immediately see them at the bottom of the hill and my tone changes; no reaction. They are literally 100 feet away at the bottom of the hill near the railway tracks. 

It wasn’t until I invited Annie to 'go to the Wal-Mart,'  that the wandering duo book it up the hill home. Less than ten minutes from me putting on my Crocs, we are all back in my home office and back on schedule. 

Minutes after we settle, my phone begins to blow up with messages. Goob even calls from work. It appears, in all their enthusiasm, they tracked (no pun intended) something into neighbours yard directly behind us. 

What I didn’t expect was that the post would go viral locally. Over a hundred shares, cross posted to multiple, to get these poor pup’s home. Seems there was a black and yellow missing in town, hence the post.

But, seriously, just look at the expression on Blondie’s face. I burst out laughing when I saw it. Instinctively she knew that she had ventured to the wrong side of the tracks. Those railroad tracks that is.

Hmm.... Perhaps Andy Warhol was right. With the whole '15 minutes of fame' theory. 

#yagottalaughaboutit

V IS FOR VOICES

 

Cruising the Mississippi River on the
Steamboat Natchez out of New Orleans
TAKEN: MAY 31st, 2019

S IS FOR SLEEPY

Law360 reported April 16th, 2024
that on the second day of Donald Trump's
"hush money" criminal trial he fell asleep.

There is so much that I could write here, but because I really try focus on the humorous, I am just going to leave this picture of the orange man that will be running in the next United stated presidential election. 

Late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel commented on the remarkable moment, joking: “If Biden is ‘Sleepy Joe’, I guess that makes you ‘Dozo the Clown’.”

Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, also made some hilarious comments, saying: “Imagine committing so many crimes, you get bored at your own trial. ‘Move on to the good stuff’.”

My fave has to go to Alex Cole via X: #yagottalaughaboutit

M IS FOR MATES

Just LOOK at these friends of mine...
TAKEN: AUGUST 11th, 2024

Last August, I posted an Instagram/Facebook story that had me sitting in the front seat of our car and my pups in the back. In my one hand was a large McDonald’s french fry container, in my other, my phone set to video. My husband in the drivers seat, rolling his eyes.

When I hit record, I began by talking in a proud and convincing voice, stating: “I’d like to challenge each and everyone of you, that believe I don’t have any friends…. Just look at these friends of myyyne!”

Now, I realize that it's hard to get the gist of a video clip from a still photograph, but check out the focus on the faces of my co-pilots. Not a worry in the world, except the desire for me to share the remaining excess sodium clad yummies in the big red box with the big yellow M.

I will admit that in the last four plus years, the only thing my husband and I drive thru at this establishment for is a cup of their freshly brewed coffee. That said, because fast food is no longer an item we bring into our home, on the odd occasion I may have gone rogue.

As I have shared here many times, I am an emotional eater. The higher my level of stress, the larger my need to self indulge (with not good food choices) gets.  Now a days, the first thing stopping me, is the number on the scale. That, and the astronomical dollar value they want to charge when I get up to the window. 

the combination of both of those major factors is why in the last year, popsicles became my guilty pleasure of choice. I simply buy those suckers on sale, pop them into the freezer, then I'm good to go.

Truth?  For the record, my pups look exactly as they do above, when they hear me opening the wrapper of a grape one coming fresh out of the box.

Like I said.... Just look at these lovely three mates of mine!

K IS FOR KEEN

No one around. and nothing 

but the sound of the waves

(and each other) to keep us company.

TAKEN: APRIL 11th, 2024

I'm not exactly sure how my travel buddy hubby and I got so obsessed with adventure, but I remember the day when we opened a savings account specifically to fund our travels. It was in the late fall of 2011. 

The first couple of years we travelled in mid winter, then we discovered if we traveled in late November and early April, we could get two passport stamps for the price of one in February. Then, I discovered the holy grail of travel called Black Friday, and our long weekend mid-winter getaway was added to our line up.

Aside from the first couple of trips I booked with an agent, I don't think I have ever paid full price since I took over the task. 

The jaunt we are on now had me book our round trip airfare on December 29th, 2023 for a sneeze over $300 each. The house we are renting had just gone on the market, so I knew we would be one of the first tenants to stay. I don't believe we will be able to travel here for the reduced dollar value I paid, ever again.

Always keen for the deals I find, my husband simply goes with the flow. With my work life as hectic as it is, I knew that this go round was going to be about peace and quiet for me. When you look at the photo I am sharing, you can see I am getting exactly that. Aside from that private island off in the distance, there is no one around but us.

So, to be fair to the quiet my husband has had to endure, today we are going to head to the curb, grab the jitney for a $1.25, and head into town for lunch. That said, it will be interesting where we land for grub. 

I just checked the port schedule and there are a Carnival, MSC and Norwegian cruise ships at the dock. 

Meaning only us, and over 12,000 other peeps looking to get conch fritters.

The one thing I do know?

None of them peeps are coming back to the house for a cold been after lunch!  

I IS FOR ICED

A little something concealed in my Christmas gift.
She got me!
TAKEN: DECEMBER 22nd, 2023

 As I type, I am sitting comfortably in a fourth row window seat on West Jet flight WS 2520. Next stop, a safe touchdown at Lynden Pindling International Airport, The Bahamas.

Yep, it's that time of year again when I hop a place to celebrate my next trip around the sun. Because I am always away this week, I have always tried to pick my flight day word to the daily corresponding letter ahead of time, so that I can write in transit and not worry about getting blocked.

From what I can gather, the internet craze of getting "iced" took hold around 2010. Actually, I remember a coworker that was my age (at my previous play of employ) telling me her kids use to ice her all the time. She'd find those suckers every where - and never didn't she fold and not drop.

For those of you that don't know, getting "iced" is what it's called when you unexpectedly find a bottle of Smirnoff Ice that someone else has left for you.  Once found, the challenge is to immediately take a knee and drink the content of the bottle - STAT. This past Christmas was the first time it had happened to me.

As I have written here before, I am the old gray mare headed to the glue factory in the Google culture workplace that surrounds me. Makes no matter to me, I love the youthful camaraderie that swirls around the office a warp speed.

The one young gal that I work closest with has such amazing stories to tell of how she and her sisters have always taken great pride in successfully concealing the jolt and happily watching the other (or others in one instance) drop, kneel, and drink that I began to realize what a craze it truly is.

All the stories came flooding back as I popped the top and snapped this pic. The one thing I didn't do on that fateful day was take a knee.

Afterall, that last thing this old hack wanted to do was throw out her back a couple of days before Christmas! 

#yagottalaughaboutit

H IS FOR HONESTY

To be honest, you can NEVER go wrong with the truth
#yagottalaughaboutit

SQUIRRELING MY NUTS

It's that time of year again, where I look to the jar of nuts I have squirreled away all winter and decide how many of those precious gems I am going to spend on each venue, creating a great 2024 concert season. 

Since starting my newest position two and half years ago, I have gotten into the habit of transferring the monies I am paid to do site visits and inspections into a savings account. Knowing full well, that those dollars/nuts will be earmarked for more bucket list tickets.

Because he is in such demand, and focuses primarily on playing football stadiums, my No Shoes Nation buddy won't be headed north of the boarder anytime soon. So, I knew eventually hopping a plane to see him perform was going to be a must. 

Then, shortly after Jimmy Buffet passed, and he and fellow parrot head Zac Brown decided to join forces for their Sun Goes Down Tour. I immediately began making plans to head to into downtown Chicago for our wedding anniversary in June.

Though not a concert, the next tickets to be added here will be for my hubby.
A 1pm start on June 14th at Wrigley Field (Cubs vs Braves)
TAKEN: MARCH 21st, 2024

Though the concert is one of the reasons for heading to Chicago, there are a lot of other items that are a must see. 

An afternoon baseball game at Wrigley Field, a trip to legend Buddy Guys bar in hopes he shows up, an architecture river cruise, and definitely lunch at Lou Malnati's for their famous deep dish pizza. Oh, and let's not forget the fireworks at Navy Pier and a selfie at The Bean!

With our Soldier Field, second tier fourth row adjacent to the stage tickets secured, I am now on the Ticketmaster hunt for Wrigley Field resale tickets.  Which, where my husband wants to sit, are currently running at about the cost of a heart transplant at a private hospital outside Canada. Therefore, I am still squirreling away my nuts to purchase.

I suspect those will be purchased after my annual birthday trip in April. This year we are headed to a luxury oceanfront home we've rented with a pool in the Bahamas. We both love snorkeling, which will be steps through our private gate, so it was a no brainer when West Jet packaged our round trip flights for just over $300 clams each.

Yep, Bahamas is where I spend the clams I have shucked, Ticketmaster is all about my squirreled nuts. Which should not be confused with my 'being nuts'. 

...For obsessively chasing really great concert experiences!

Just sayin'.

TAMING MY TRESSES

You never know who you're going to want to kiss walking Broadway in Nashville! #imabigfan
TAKEN: OCTOBER 10th, 2024

About a week ago, I bit the bullet, went into a hair salon, and got my hair cut. 

Not the most earth-shattering news I have ever shared here - but in this instance, my hair was the longest it had ever been in my life. The truth is I hadn't allowed anyone or anything near my tresses (except my very dull kitchen scissors) since that tearful day last May when I fired my hairdresser.

To be honest, I did wait a couple of days after a Edweena Scissorhands and her barrel of bleach did their deed, before posting about it here. All these months later, my disappointment in what was promised versus what was delivered still really pisses me off!

Anyway, because my hair was already frail, I took a step back and except for root touch up spray to kill the glare, I let it rest for more than two months. Then, through online research, I discovered a natural gloss that washes out which I could apply to cover the blondeness; until my grey could grow out and be blended in with highlights.

You can tell by the picture I am sharing today that by last October, my hair was brittle and because of the overall weight of the length, it looked like crap. It didn't matter what I did. The thing that was once my best accessory, was looking like that super annoying cousin no one wanted to admit they were related to.

Wait, it gets worse. Without notice, my hair started coming out in large clumps in the shower and by the end of January it was significant. My buddy Google said that by repeatedly pulling my hair tightly on the top my head, it was most likely a type of hair loss called traction alopecia. 

I knew it was time. My hair was so damaged that most everything below shoulder length needed to go. So it did. I told my new gal to get rid of everything that needed to go when she very diplomatically said, 'you can come back in a week and we can take more off, it really is best to do this in stages so you can get use to it.'  

She was very empathetic to my journey, and she was absolutely amazing. 

I guess as I sit here and type I wonder how the hell I went from holding my hand up to my ear saying loudly, 'Sorry so-in-so, I can't hear you over the volume of my hair!' To trolling Amazon for hair growth oils and hair thinning solutions.

Three little words. 

Middle age sucks. That is all!

 Actually, that is six words... but I think you catch my drift.

FOREVER SEEKING SAVINGS

Seems I have everyone in the house looking for a great deal.
Thanks for your help #OreoGang!
TAKEN: NOVEMBER 26th, 2023

Several years ago, we were given a rustic and colourful plaque for the cottage that reads... “Don’t be too busy making a living, that you forget to make a life.” It was truly appreciated at the time, because the truth of the matter is we have always worked longer hours than most. 

Though we've both worked a lot to acquire the little bit we have, I credit where we are at to the fact that we have never been shy when it comes to looking for a great deal. Take travel for an example, I don't think I have paid full price to get on a plane since we began all our galivanting without the kids in the winter of 2012.

Every year, I always seem to find that one gem that surfaces, for at least a day, book it, locking in the price. Did you know that there are some days better than others to book travel? It's true, and I have my discounted hotel and airline tickets to prove it.

Anyway, with our purchasing a boat, I figured that I wouldn't get to travel for my 2024 birthday. Then, as Black Friday approached I couldn't help but hunt for that one really sexy four night deal. Though I came close to hitting the 'BOOK' button on the Trip Central website, I refrained. 

I know my husband is disappointed but he is the one that wanted the boat, and there are only so many pennies in the piggy bank. I have always been adamant that we never travel using our line of credit, it must to be part of our weekly savings stipend; which has been allocated elsewhere.

I'm sure something will come our way so that we can get out of dodge for a few days next April. But until it does, we need to remain focused on the fact that we have made a really expensive purchase and didn't increased our debit load.

As I sit here and type, I realize that our new twenty foot girl still remains unnamed. That said, as I look at the picture I am sharing this post I feel we should be leaning toward "The Paw Patrol."

I think it's perfect.... Because I know there will be six of them thar thangs (4 black and two yellow) making sure everyone on Orillia Lake knows they are on high alert, with their new ride confirming just what lucky pups they truly are!

BLUE MOON MUSINGS

Earlier this week, I brought the dogs into town as I had both in-office and site meetings, and moving them for the night made the most sense. On in-office meeting day, the gang of girls were as good as gold. Site meeting day, all freaking hell broke loose.

After I got the steam to stop rolling out of my ears, I cleaned the upper level disaster zone, then posted on social media:

Anyone want a dog or three?

Had an early site meeting on Lake Muskoka, only to return home to discover the dogs 'ate my homework!'

...AND my brand new sandals, two pairs of flip flops, three pens, and a jumbo role of toilet paper making it look like it snowed in here!!

#notimpressed #bad #katielulu #anniebananie #miyamaria #thissucks

Left: The Oreo Gang on National Dog Day
Right: Some home office evidence of evil!
Taken: August 25th & 29th, 2023

When I was going through the comments and reactions, I noticed our breeder responded saying  that her gang had been evil devil babies as well, noting, 'there must be something in the air.'

It was in that moment I had a genuine lightbulb moment. It dawned on me that the blue moon was upon us. Could that have been what made them all go batshit crazy?

So, I Googled, can a dog sense a full moon? This is what came back (via wagwalking.com): Your dog may seem to be much more alert, they may bark and howl more, they may growl, begin to chew things they normally would not, and may pace a lot if they are feeling restless and antsy. In all my years of having pups, I had no idea.

What I will say, is that when Katie came home in January, I was already working from home four days a week. I had a plan for her ongoing teething and had puppy proofed our home. As she grew there were challenges but nothing like what I came home to a couple of days ago. The difference this week was I knew all three participated; which has never happened before.

I will say, they do have a good gig living at the cottage but it's not like they are living in a van down by the river in town. They've got it really good. I will admit, now that I've calmed down, I think they are all beginning to suffer from a bit of separation anxiety as our routine is really quite regimented.

I start work an hour early every day so that I can exercise them three time a day, which they have come to know as recess. With three dog beds at my feet at my top of the stairs make shift cottage office, they tend to sleep while I work and talk on the phone knowing recess will eventually arrive. 

At the end of the day, I guess I'm just really pissed they ate my shoes. Even then, I suppose it's my fault. 

For whatever reason, I seem to keep buying their favourite flavours! 

#yagottalaughaboutit

TAXATION TRASH TALKING

Can you believe this isn't even our trash at the end of our driveway?
TAKEN: MONDAY AUGUST 7th, 2023

As we headed home the Monday of the August long weekend, I witnessed something I hadn’t in out more than two decades of cottage ownership. It was the local garbage truck backing down our private road, offering the first shred of proof that my big tax contributions really DO pay for something.

When we initially bought on Orillia Lake, that first summer, our American neighbours invited us over for lunch. We thought it generally hospitable, then early in the onset of us sitting down we discovered they had a specific ask: Please, 'always keep your garbage picked up’ was their reason for our invitation.

Now we knew we were buying the place from a couple of hippies, that was a given based on the interior décor and paraphernalia, not to mention the Mexican sweat tent located near the water. It was a cash deal with a three week close, so we were relieved knowing they had to take all of their crap with then as part of the agreement of purchase and sale.

Well, we bought the end of November with a December 20th close. It wasn't until spring when we really got a good look at the lay of the land that we discovered there had been a garbage dump at the upper level where we would park our car.

Flashing again to our lunch date, the nice folks from Connecticut informed us that they had previously had terrible trouble with bears, skunks, foxes and other wildlife - as the upper garbage buffet was serving yummy meals, year round, 24-7. 

I remember we spent our first twelve weekends just tending with the mess and all these years later, shards of glass show up out of no where after a downpour, as a reminder of the shits show we willfully purchased.

Out of respect for the ask and our own common sense, we have never left trash out for the taking. The truth is that we have access to a commercial garage bin and are not charged tipping fees; which has made our habit an easy one to adapt to.

What I will say, is that as the driver backed by, he rolled down his window to comment that as first on the road, he recalls that we have always have out trash out. My husband let him know that we NEVER leave our trash at the end of the drive. It is always taken into town.

What we do, is we pay it forward. We've let our cottage road community know, that if they have extra trash, to leave it at the end of our drive. No need for them to pay tipping fees, when the only service we get for our tax dollars goes unused. 

I guess my point is if these were the only two bags of garbage left at the end of my drive in a year - they would have the value of a trip for two (all inclusive) to beautiful Jamaica.

FIRST CLASS.... and with a private car escorting them to the resort!!