Fabulous Finds

While looking online for the location of Redesign by Goodwill, I saw on the events calendar that Thursdays are dollar days. Now, whether or not it is like the 50% off Saturdays, where EVERYTHING is 50% off, I know not. Worth finding out? YES! Unfortunately it was only the green tag and 32 week items that were a dollar. But all was not lost. I got a $45 pair of shiny black, brand new, flats for $6. Three days later the dogs had a shiny black, brand new, doggie snack. Fabulous!

Anyway, I found the location for Redesign by Goodwill and the hubby and I decided to go check it out. We are not above buying furniture from Goodwill; especially if the pieces are higher end, like Redesign claims. After driving FOR-EV-ER, passing several Goodwill stores, we arrived at the semi-rundown building. So far, unimpressed. After walking around the store, evaluating quality of pieces and comparing prices, still not impressed. Quality low, even by Goodwill standards. Prices high, especially considering quality. Fortunately I had already researched the particular piece I wanted (a futon) and knew the retail price. A trip to a clean, well lit, conveniently located Target later and the Hubby has seating for his man cave. Fabulous.

Fabulous Outdoors

This summer my family experienced the Best Camping Trip EVER! I say “my family” because while I was there with them, it was NOT my best camping experience. I was super excited for this trip. I had waited a whole year to revisit the splendor that is Strawberry, AZ. After researching online, the hubby and I bought our first tent (from Target, Wal-Mart doesn’t honor the price listed online). Through a very long chain of emails, Mom, Sister and I put together a menu. Later, Sister, Hubby and I went on a tense shopping spree at the more-than-you-could-ever-need store for food and supplies. My very intelligent Hubby thought it a bad idea to bring our furbabies camping. But as I had already made sure the tent could fit a kennel for them to sleep in and bought the 50 feet of rope each to secure them to a tree, I felt they should join us. After all, if they were fur-less-babies we would bring them, right? (Not to mention we didn’t have any trust worthy furbabysitters.) After driving two and a half hours to the campsite, I was able to enjoy the perfect weather (for about five minutes). Just as we were finishing set-up of the last tent, it began to rain. The rain soon ended and the forest was left feeling refreshed and alive. The furbabies were left feeling “alive” as well, unfortunately! Apparently 50 feet is not enough room for our dogs. If we were near them they complained; if we were away from them they complained; if we let them run wild and free the Hubby was an anxious mess. There was no solution. The next day an Aunt drove up and took us all to Fossil Creek, nearby. Absolutely beautiful water scenes. The furbabies have differing opinions of water. Penny LOVES the water, like any normal chocolate lab. Rita HATES that water, what a freak, right? So I held Penny back from jumping in and having a good time while the Hubby tried to console Rita and assure her that my Sister was not drowning and there was no need to for her barking concern. Miserable! The Hubby finally took both girls and sat in the car. Well I couldn’t enjoy myself knowing that the Hubby (who didn’t want to bring the furbabies in the first place) was sitting in a hot van with barking girls. When we arrived back at camp we had wonderful family friends join us. I also had a massive migraine join me. The hubby and I decided that it was not worth it to stay another night. So we, uhem, I (with the migraine) drove home early. Fabulous!

(DOGS RUIN EVERYTHING!!)

Just Fabulous!

Saturday night the hubby and I took our furbabies to the dog park. We hadn't been there in a while and our furbabies were getting bored (and therefore destructive) at home. I love taking them to the dog park. All of the crazy people, I mean dog lovers, there praise our girls shiny coats, well toned bodies and white teeth. There are amny who admire our labs. We are told every other time we go that, "if one of them ever has a litter"... we would have NO trouble finding homes for those puppies. Going to the dog parks makes me love my furbabies slightly more, until we go home and they eat my shoes. Then I hate them all over again...

When we arrived at the dog park we noticed that they had done some remodeling. The park now winds around the baseball field and is all grass instead of a grass patch in the middle of a dirt field. Also, the shade from the surrounding trees now falls in the area where we stand around. The weather was very nice and would have had a very pleasant time, had I not been in A DOG PARK!

Now, I have already established how I feel about dogs. So this should surprise no one. I am in a fenced area, surrounded by dogs. These dogs can not sence that I don't like them. A bichon is VERY happy to see me. I don't want to be rude, so I pet... him? I step in poo and a great dane decides I am his new best friend. I am use to my dogs nugging me for attention. My dogs are strong and can remove my hand from a computer mouse to pet them, however unwilling I am to part with said mouse. If my dogs are strong, that dane was the hulk. There was NO saying NO! When a dogs head is bigger than your own and comes up to your chest, you don't argue.

So while we were there, I pet MANY different dogs. All of a sudden my hands start to itch. Then they start to itch bad. Then they start to swell. Maybe I am developing an allergy to dogs... Fabulous!

Fabulous Silver Lining

When tight-leash walking a very large muscular furbaby downhill, that furbaby will pull you downhill. This can result in twisted ankles, scrapes and scratches and sore hands. When tight-leash walking a very large muscular furbaby up-hill, that furbaby will pull you up-hill. This can result in a much less strenuous, much more enjoyable hike. Fabulous.

Fabulous Obedience

This weekend I attended a Petsmart Puppy Training with my sister and her puppy. As it was the first class, the instructor covered only the basics. "Look at me, good boy!" It was really fun to see all the Daddies and Mommies trying to calm their furbabies. Most of the puppies got it first try. By the end of the class they could all focus to some extent. Some puppies just have a shorter attention span! When I got home to my own furbabies, I tried some of the same tips and tricks with them that the class had been doing. I don't know why I was surprised that it worked; Petsmart trainers are professionals after all. The point is, my furbabies are better behaved. Fabulous!

Fabulous Furbabies

I have always been a cat lover. I married someone who is allergic to cats. Fabulous right? There was no trickery or deceit. I knew long before we were engaged that he was allergic. Really, truly allergic. I knew too that he was a dog lover. What I didn't know was that his beloved childhood friend would pass away two months before our wedding date. I also didn't know how deep my future hubby's need for a dog was. I had always told him that I wanted a year without a dog. You see, reader, my mom was a chienne amante (dog lover). I had spent my childhood with the stinky, hairy, messy, inconsiderate of peoples' personal space, creatures. I would go to school only to realize in my third hour that the dog had urinated on my back pack. I don't think a year was asking too much, honestly. However it soon became clear to me that my hubby was just not himself without a canine companion. I made the secret decision that we would, at the first opportunity, adopt a furbaby of our own. So the saying is true, love is blinding. Only after the adoption of our 2 gigantic chocolate labs do I remember why, and how deeply, dogs repulse me. Fabulous.