I wish I had a picture...

...of Abby's big fat puppy belly yesterday morning.

And no, I don't mean the cute little puppy pooch that she had when we first got her--she outgrew that weeks ago. Actually, the rascal's been growing so fast that she can't keep up with herself, and she's all skinny and gangly, like a teenager in a growth spurt. Which is why her huge fat belly was impossible to miss yesterday.

Okay, let me back up and explain. Monday night I stayed at my friend Randi's house to puppysit while she was at the Panthers game. Meanwhile, Kevin was at home with our pups. I came home Tuesday morning, after he'd already left for work. Abby was in her crate, and had an accident. Since I knew Kevin had started her on a different kind of food that morning, I wasn't too surprised. But then when I took her out, I noticed the belly. And when I say big fat puppy belly, I mean, she went from looking bulimic the day before to looking like she was pregnant. She literally waddled.

So, I called Kevin at work and asked how much he'd fed her. But he'd fed her a normal amount. So I talked to Randi, who has had some exposure to a variety of dog health issues through her part-time job at a doggie daycare. I explain the big belly, and she tells me that it could be bloat, which can be deadly for dogs. So of course, I frantically call the vet, change out of my pajamas and head out (without a shower, incidentally).

The vet tech asks me if she could have gotten into anything, had any of her toys gone missing (yes, her belly was so big it could have been a toy), etc. I mention to the vet that she didn't seem to be feeling poorly, and had been wrestling with her brother. He asks, could she have eaten her brother's food? Well, I suppose, but she's pretty good about knowing what's her food and what's his.

So, the only way to know if her belly is full of food or full of gas (aka, bloat), is to take an x-ray. A $122 x-ray.

Ten minutes later, I am looking at an x-ray of a little puppy skeleton--and a big fat belly full of food. In fact, her stomach was so full, it was pushing against her ribcage and shoving her intestines out of the way. Yep, I paid $122 to find out our pup is a fat little pig who apparently got into her dog food bag. And then we waddled our way out of the vet's office.

And oh yeah, Abby had just been at the vet's the day before for shots, and she weighed 25.5 pounds. When I put her on the scale at our "emergency" visit yesterday, she weighed 28.3 pounds. That's right--she ate almost three pounds of dog food. I think she could give even my brother a run for his money at the all-you-can-eat buffet.

Hope Floats

So I know you're all wondering why an Obama fanatic like myself has yet to post anything after Tuesday's victory.

Truth is, I worked 12+ hour days last weekend for a special event at work, then I worked at one of the polling locations on election day--which meant arriving at 5:30 a.m. and finishing up about 9. I stopped and got dinner on the way home and made it home by the time it was evident victory was in sight.

But I was too tired to write anything about it, and the truth is, the moment speaks for itself. What this man overcame, what we as a nation have overcome, are so abundantly clear that I don't think my words add much.

No, racism is not dead. No, we have not yet righted the wrongs of the last eight years. But we can.

Yes we can. Yes we are.

Best Buds

Obviously I worried too much about Alex and Abby "working things out." By the end of last week they were playing so much I had to keep the TV at top volume just to hear it over them.

Then this weekend Kevin and I were both out of town, so Alex stayed with my friend Randi and her pups, and Abby stayed with Kevin's sister. Randi is already dogsitting another lab in addition to her two, so a puppy added to the mix would have been too much. Alex is used to staying there and knows the routine, so he's not too much extra work (aside from the turbo poop he puts out when he's there).

Anyway, this was how we found Alex and Abby today, after they were reunited. I think they missed each other. And if you can't tell, Abby is getting HUGE!

Quick Update

Alex has actually been playing with Abby a couple times over the past two days, and not just tolerating her! And today, he actually initiated it. And then he was being all Alpha Dog (which is so not Alex) with her and making sure she knew her place--pushing her down with his paw, nipping at her neck (yeah, if you don't know much about dogs this might sound mean, but it's normal behavior to determine the leader of the pack).

What surprised me the most was that he actually got her to roll over and show her stomach to him. Again, for any non-dog people, this is about the most submissive position a dog can put itself in, and this was huge, since Abby IS not an easily submissive dog.

This "determing the pack leader" dynamic is what has made this whole thing so interesting. Alex knows that he's supposed to be the guy in charge because he's been here longer and she's a puppy. But he is usually the follower, so it's a different role for him to take on, but he's trying. Abby, on the hand, personality-wise falls into the dominant category, so you have a normally submissive dog trying to be the alpha over a normally dominant dog. Fun stuff. But they are making progress.

The interesting thing to watch will be whether, once she's fully grown, they switch roles and she becomes the alpha in the end.

Keeping the Faith

With all the negativite campaigning and hate/fear-mongering going on, it is very easy to lose sight of the primary message that Barack Obama offered us--hope. Hope that we as a nation can, will and must do better. After what we have seen in the past eight years, "hope" was an elusive ideal. And yet here was this extraordinary man telling us that it's still out there, that it is in us, that we have the power, that there are enough of us who want change to make it happen.

And against all hope, we found the strength to hope again--as we watched tens of thousands join together for a common purpose, our purpose, of renewing this nation and restoring her to the greatness she once held. We realized, at last, that we were not alone. At times it has seemed almost surreal. After watching voters actually re-elect George W. Bush, it was easy to believe that the majority of this country had, well, lost its mind. Could it be that most Americans really do believe we have been on the wrong road after all? All of a sudden, the dream was coming true--we could actually reclaim our country.

Still, there have been disappointments in the past, and those disappointments have bred a fear of hope and optimism, lest we see those hopes dashed once again. But Sen. Obama convinced us to try, that we must keep our tenous grasp on hope. The last few weeks have been difficult. Yes, Obama is ahead in the polls. But the wider the gap gets, the more vicious the attacks get. It may be getting easier to be hopeful that Obama will win, but it gets more difficult to hope for the best of human nature.

But there are two sides to every coin. For every story like the one of an elderly black man in Virginia who had his Obama sign stolen and replaced with a rebel flag, there is a story like this, recounted by one early voter, that restores your hope once again:

For me the most moving moment came when the family in front of me, comprising probably 4 generations of voters (including an 18 year old girl voting for her first time and a 90-something hunched-over grandmother), got their turn to vote. When the old woman left the voting booth she made it about halfway to the door before collapsing in a nearby chair, where she began weeping uncontrollably. When we rushed over to help we realized that she wasn't in trouble at all but she had not truly believed, until she left the booth, that she would ever live long enough to cast a vote for an African-American for president.

The above excerpt is from Ben Smith's Blog on Politico.com.

The Angry Right

I wrote a post after the RNC about Bush's "angry left" comment, deciding not to be offended by it because we have the right to be angry, and truthfully have not been angry enough.

In observing developments over the past few weeks, though, I am astounded at how angry those on the right truly are--as evidenced by this very scary clip of John McCain supporters screaming at members of the media.

We've all seen the reporters of attendees at McCain/Palin rallies yelling out despicable things like "terrorist" and "traitor" about Barack Obama. McCain's defense is that at any large gathering you will have "fringe" elements and when those incidents occur, the candidates make it clear they are not acceptable (funny thing is, I've seen many clips where this happened at a Palin rally and she said nothing). Sen. McCain also notes, "you should hear the things they say about me at Sen. Obama's rallies."

Really? Because I went to a rally for Obama about a month ago, and for an event with more than 20,000 people, the crowd was exceptionally courteous and polite--there was no name-calling, no booing, people were even trading spots with each other to make sure everybody got a chance to see Obama speaking--even if it was only for a few moments and from a distance. At another recent Obama appearance, there were some boos when McCain was mentioned, and the Senator immediately quieted the crowd, saying there was no need for that.

Just my opinion, but "boo" is far less incendiary than "terrorist." I'm sorry, Sen. McCain, that you were booed.

The big question is, why are they so angry? Is it because they are losing? Well, for Sen. McCain, I think that's half the reason. The other half, I believe history shows us, is that he is just an angry man. As for his supporters? Well, they're following their leaders. McCain and Palin are both using fear of the "unknown" and a victim mindset to stir anger.

For example, when there is clearly nothing to the Obama/Ayers relationship, and the McCain campaign can't show that there is, they create this fear that there's something more by saying Obama has not been truthful and open about the relationship. Well, if the "truth" is so hideous, and you apparently know what it is, why don't you share it with us Sen. McCain? Maybe because all there is to the Ayers connection is what has already been told to us, and the "fear" of something more is more damaging than the truth. Fear-mongering at its best--or rather worst.

To give credence to the conspiracy theory, they blame the liberal media for "attacking" McCain unfairly (here's the victim mindset) and turning a blind eye to what might be in Obama's closet--why isn't the media looking as closely at Obama as they are Palin? or Joe the Plumber?

Hmmm....let me see....I guess because they have been uncovering every skeleton in Obama's closet for 20 months! 24 hours news channels got weeks worth of content just from Rev. Jeremiah Wright alone, so don't tell me Obama hasn't been scrutinized.

This is all just more of the blame game and substituting fear for a real discussion on issues. So I am angry because the extreme right-wing Republicans have run this country into the ground, believing somehow they have an edict to govern as they choose, rather than as the Constitution and will of the people dictate. I am angry because America has lost its moral standing, innocent lives have been lost because of political grandstanding and politicians have sown the seeds of hate and diviseness all in the name of winning elections.

And the right? Best I can tell, they are angry because it looks like they are going to lose to a black, liberal, "elitist," who apparently, since he's not a Republican, is also not a "real" American. Fine. Let 'em be angry. We have seethed for eight years while they ruined our country, so personally, I don't care if they sit closed-minded and pissed off for eight years while we get a chance to fix it.

Give Peace a Chance

Hallelujah! I think Alex is finally getting used to Abby. At least he doesn't look suicidal anymore. And he almost plays with her. Well, really, he plays with Kevin, who then incorporates Abby in to the game so that he doesn't realize they are playing together. But it seems to be working. He doesn't run from her anymore, and he even makes eye contact with her--except when she takes to chewing on his tags, which I resolved by removing his collar. I'm taking them both up to my friend Randi's tomorrow again to play with her labs in her nice big fenced yard, which should sufficiently wear them out for the rest of the day.

I will also be borrowing a baby gate from Randi so that when Abby is out of her crate and wound up, I can contain her to the living room--which will save me getting up every five minutes to see what she's getting in to. And hopefully it will curtail "accidents," since those are always when she sneaks out to the dining room, then I come out a few minutes later and find a nice little present. She's been doing better though--no accidents for almost two days, until she broke her streak about an hour ago.

Okay, okay, I promise my next post will be about something other than puppies. Truth be told I'm writing about them because otherwise I'd be writing about politics, and that just makes me angry. I can't wait for Nov. 4 so I can go back to not being a political junkie!

The Great Frame-Up, Part Deux

I may have unfairly accused Alex. I'm pretty sure that it was him that peed in front of Abby's crate the other night, but I didn't actually catch him in the act, so I can be positive. But he's not really framing Abby, either, since she made it clear she's been doing some peeing of her own.

Quite a bit of peeing actually. Three times last night I found a puddle in the dining room, and I knew it had to be Abby, because Alex hadn't moved from his bed--which is another issue. Alex is in a funk. He doesn't know how to handle Abby and all her puppy energy and he is in his "fear cycle." It's like he just gets mind-locked and now he's terrified by a little puppy. It's to the point I'm considering doggie prozac. He's been a little better today so I guess I will wait and see.

Needless to say, I am quickly running out of tricks in my amateur doggie psychologist bag for these two, so if anybody knows a great puppy shrink, send 'em my way--especially if you happen to be friends with Cesar Millan!

The Great Frame-Up

When Abby first came home, Alex wasn't so sure. He was okay with her for the first half hour or so, while she was still exploring and a little timid and shy. But once she got settled, she was fearless and very playful.

A little too playful for Alex's taste. He loves to play with other dogs, but when she gets going, she is wide open, and she just doesn't stop--doesn't stop jumping on him, nipping at him, and on it goes. So, being the most submissive dog in the world, his solution was to just keep running away from her, or hide in a corner.

Yesterday I took both of them to my see my friend Randi and her labs--Winnie, Daisy, and her temporary adoptee Mocha. It went well--Winnie and Mocha had a blast playing with Abby, and Abby had a blast playing with them. Daisy doesn't really like puppies, but she seemed to think Abby was okay, and Alex actually played with her some too.

Today, they seemed to be doing better. I even found them sleeping together earlier (see photographic evidence above). And Abby's training is going well--she's learned to sit, she's getting used to the leash, and for the most part the housebreaking's been going well. She had one accident yesterday and the day before, but today she had THREE. Or so I thought.

The weird thing is, everytime I have found a puddle o' pee, it's been right in front of her crate. And today, I put her in her crate to run a short errand. I took her out right before I left and was gone less than an hour, but when I came back, she had peed in her crate. Or so I thought.

This was really puzzling me, because most dogs will avoid peeing where they sleep, and since she only has to go out once during the night, I found it hard to believe she couldn't hold it for one hour.

Less than an hour ago, I took both her and Alex out. Not even five minutes later, I was sitting in the living room, watching Abby romp around the room, when I heard Alex walking around in the other room where her crate is--and then I heard a familiar sound, and immediately rushed out there.

Yes, my dog had just peed in front of Abby's crate, apparently just out of spite. And I'm guessing he actually peed IN her crate when I was gone, with her in there! My always sweet, nearly perfectly behaved pup has conspired to frame a puppy! I'm halfway between being boiling mad and feeling bad for him, because he never acts out, so I'm afraid Abby is really bothering him. And I had to punish him so he doesn't keep doing it, but I don't want him to hold that against her too!

Argh--who knew doggie pyschology was this tough?

Abigail Gretchen

Kevin and I have a new addition--Abigail Gretchen. We adopted Abby Thursday from a rescue group in South Carolina, and she seems to like her new home. She loves her big brother Alex, but he's not so sure what he thinks about her (he can't figure out why she bounces so much!).

My friend Randi says that because Alex was so easy to train, Abby is going to be the exact opposite. She definitely has a very different personality than Alex--more playful, fearless and a VERY short attention span. She also likes you to chase her, which is definitely a habit we'll have to break. But she is just cute as a button. When she's all hyped up, she bounces all over the place, just like Tigger. And she's very curious--if something catches her attention, she sits down and cocks her head to one side, like she's trying to figure it out.

She's also an explorer, which means she will be getting into lots of stuff she's not supposed to be in. But she's learning her boundaries pretty well already, and she's already learned to sit!

And in case you're wondering what she is... well, she's a lot like Alex in that sense--a Heinz 57 dog. They said she's a Doberman/German Shephard mix, but I'm pretty sure she has some hound in her too. The ears, droopy eyes, nose to the ground all the time, and her "howling" bark all give it away.

And, oh yeah, I got a speeding ticket on the way back from picking her up--but I think she was worth it!

Stay tuned for more pictures and updates...

The Angry Left

During his very abbreviated speech at the Republican National Convention, Bush made a remark about the "angry left." I remember thinking, here we go, categorizing everybody with a particular political view with some negative generalization. Haven't we had enough division? Hasn't the response to Barack Obama's call for unity, for us to work together as a nation, demonstrated that we are tired of labels that divide us? Why does he assume we're all angry, just because we have a different point of view?

Yes, I was righteously indignated. But I've been thinking about it, and I have no right to be upset that he called us angry. Because the truth is, I am angry.

I am angry that in the past eight years, we have been lied to, we have had our patriotism called into question for practicing the freedoms that Bush says he's "defending," we have seen abuses of power go unchecked, and we have sent our sons, daughters, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends and neighbors to die in an unjust war with no clear purpose that has not made the world safer but more dangerous.

I am angry that, after watching almost 3,000 fellow Americans perish in the attacks of Sept. 11 and seeing our nation come together for a common cause, our "leaders" chose to take this extraordinary moment of unity and twist it into a tyrannical, oppressive government that labels all who voice dissention as "emboldening the terrorists." I am angry that "fighting the terrorists" became a license to do whatever we want to whoever we want with no questions asked.

I am angry that we stood by and let almost 2,000 more Americans die in the waters of Katrina. I am angry that we have lost our standing on the world stage as a nation that, while we didn't always make the right decisions, we tried to do what was right. Now we are a country that tortures, that imprisons people without giving them a fair trial, or even telling them what the charges are against them. We are a country that mocks citizens for expressing outrage against these atrocities, and we are a country of bystanders who have watched this all unfold and have done nothing.

Yes, I am angry. We should all be angry. So what really makes me indignant about Bush's statement is not that he called us angry--it is that he does not concede that we have a right to be angry.

Anger is often treated as a negative thing. I looked up quotes on anger and almost everything I found was about how anger will eat away at you or make you say things you regret. Often, that is true. I may get angry at the cable company for its bad service, but if I hold on to that anger, I certainly won't be a better person for it.

But sometimes anger is justified and even necessary, as is the case now. We need to be angry, and we need to channel that anger into action. There was only one quote about anger that I found which seemed to fit my line of thought tonight, but if fit perfectly:

"The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough."

--Bede Jarrett

Yes, I am alive

Yeah, I know, I haven't posted anything in a year and a half. But I have a good excuse. Really.

In previous posts, I had mentioned some issues with my back. Well, they were getting progressively worse, and sitting at my desk to type aggravated it, as did sitting on the couch with a laptop on my lap (it made my right leg go numb), so for awhile, aside from when I had to be during the day for work, I was not at a computer much, and so not posting on here. That and the fact that I really didn't get out and do much because I felt like crap, so I just didn't have much of interest to write about.

The good news is, I'm all better. Or mostly better anyway. I had spinal fusion in March, and while it sounds pretty scary, especially at the age of just 29, it has literally given me my life back (thank you Dr. Milam!). No, I am not 100 percent and I still have some aches and pains. But I am also not taking prescription painkillers around the clock (or at all!) now, I walk several miles several times a week and I actually get out of the house and do things with my friends now.

I am planning a longer post related to the past two years, although it remains to be seen if I will be brave enough to write, let alone post it. But it's midnight, and that will take too long. I do have another post on my mind right now that I am going to lose a few Zs to write, but I am posting it separate from this as it is completely unrelated.