Well, I've been absent for quite a while, but life is finally returning to more normal. Now I am trying to sell my house so I can move to High Springs to be near my brother, son, and best friend. This is proving to be quite time consuming. Went up there last week to look and was disappointed at the number of houses that were in my price range. Will make more trips as time goes by. No offers on my house yet. Ringo may be able to unretire from agility. Rachel's son, Keegan, ran him in a course last weekend and really did quite well. He is a good handler and they both really enjoyed it. I tried to run him and he did okay. I just couldn't keep up with him. But just being at a fun match was fun. Rachel held her first USDAA fun match at her place in High Springs. I helped get things ready for the match and learned how to score.

Brrrrrr

I'm cold. This weather is for the birds. Well, not even. We may get up to the mid 50's today but not tomorrow. Really cold tonight and tomorrow night. I'm still sleeping on the sofa with my neck and hip but may have to go to bed tonight so I can stay warm. Or maybe just turn up the heat.

Follow up to doctor visit

After the doctor visit, I got sick the first part of July. Cold which went into my lungs as usual. By this time, my doctor had gone on vacation. So I went to MedExpress. They gave me an antibiotic, but it wasn't the right one. So finally, I got back to the doctor the end of July. Got an antibiotic and cough syrup and changed some of my regular asthma medications. Of course, by then I was a mess. So It took a while for everything to kick in and for me to get well. And, of course, by now, I had no stamina. And depressed big time.

So I'm slowly getting back to life. I'll be glad when it cools off and being outside isn't so draining.

Pulmonary doctor visit

Went to the pulmonary doc today. Regular check up but breathing hasn't been good lately. We did a test and I was down 20% in all areas since my last test in December 2008. Also the cough from my cold has been hanging on for three weeks. Had a real coughing spree as I finished the breathing test.

So we are changing one medicine and adding another. The one we are changing is for the post-nasal drip. He thinks that is what is causing the continuing cough. The one we are adding is for the breathing. Hopefully they will help. I was really out of breath at the end of my lesson and moving the agility equipment on Wednesday. I kept having to stop while doing it to catch my breath.

Obedience lesson today

Haven't been updating lately. Went through a long depression. Better now.

Ringo and Starr had their obedience lesson today. Starr has been very slow coming back after her surgery. But she did very well at the beginning of her lesson. Then she got hot, tired and stubborn. I out-stubborned her and we got her back on track. We started Ringo on utility training. Did moving stand and signals. I can actually work on those inside during the extreme heat.

Starr is a Star!

I can't help it. I have to brag on my little girl. The little devil that never got training as a puppy (I was having a horrible time with my back when I got her). But I finally decided that I had to give her a job. And with Rachel's unending patience, we are progressing in obedience. But I decided to not take Rach's advice to wait to show in rally until you are actually ready to show in Novice Obedience and we started showing in Rally Novice at Nationals. That was the one that I messed up. I cost Starr 26 points at that trial and we didn't qualify.

But last Saturday we put it together as a team. Our score was 97 which was good for second place! I am so proud of her. She watched me closely and one woman outside the ring thought she had a 100. That wasn't meant to be, but I am so very proud of the 97.

Ringo scored a 97 in Advanced Rally, but so did 4 other dogs and one scored 99 so he didn't place. I was real slow on the course because I wasn't as familiar with a couple of the signs. Advanced is all off lead and Ringo has finally remembered that heeling can be fun.

Sunday, Starr scored a 96 and fourth place. Ringo decided to show me that he is a corgi and I waved the white flag and we left the course.

Beatles & Rally

Ringo & Starr will be in a Rally Trial this weekend. Starr has class tonight and that will be her practice. Ringo will be in Advanced and we had to learn some new signs. (The signs tell you what to do rather than the judge calling out what you need to do. It is a little more like agility that way. You have to do what comes on the next sign.) The first new one we tried was for him to be heeling beside me, go over a jump, and come right back in to heel. So we had to make a new jump. I did and then we went to practice. He looked at me like I was going crazy, but it was no problem to come back beside me. That was yesterday. Today we worked on some of the others. He did great. Really seemed to enjoy it.

So now I am looking forward to Starr's class. She went to doggy chiropractor yesterday. She had been showing reluctance to jump up in the van or onto the sofa. And her sit was sloppy looking. She feels much better today. Can't keep her off the sofa - she gets up with ease. Caught her on the bed too this morning.