Uhhh...

I have bloggers block. Chiantra makes me realize how much I love my cat.

HELP ME OBI ONE KANOBI (aka D. Miner), YOU"RE MY ONLY HOPE

So the breeder once tole me (it's much easier to type before three glasses of wine on a Sunday night), that he applies a certain oil to the Airedale coat to help condition it. Does canola oil that pork spring rolls have been cooked in add anything extra to that recommendation over the usual mineral, avacado, or olive oil? Do you think Asian appetizer infused oil from your range top will improve your Airedale's head and front leg furnishings? I may atest, it does not. Nor does it, by the way, improve the softenss, pliability, and general comfort/aroma of your leather sofa and cushions (upon which your Airedale slept after drinking 521 mL of spring roll oil left so innocently on the range top by an unsuspecting mom). So, Dorothy Miner (respected author of Airedale Terriers: a complete pet owners' manual), in the chapter on Training Your Airedale you mention positive reinforcement. If your dog does nothing positive, how does one reinforce. How, DM, do I reinforce that nothing the dog is doing, is good. How do I teach, GO TO SLEEP GOD DAMMIT AND DON"T TOUCH ANYTHING ON THE F%*!ING COUNTER, GARBAGE, (AND NOW) OR STOVE!!!! My darling angel, THE BITCH, seems to have the nose required to sniff out cocaine that the drug dealer at the airport shoved up his ass five days ago, removed and crapped 6 times since, so how do I ENCOURAGE her away from DRINKING OOIILLL!!!!

DM says "An unruly Airedale that has taken over alpha position in the family is a major pest." (mild understatement to say the least). DM then goes on to discuss in full how to train an Airedale to Sit, Stay, Sit-Stay, Down, Down-Stay, Heel, etc, etc. all the functions of the competitive Obedience trial ring. We took the BITCH to class. She will sit, and down, and stay, etc for food. The problem is, she will also garbage-dive, chew through over priced food storage containers and travel bags, and reek general havock upon a daily household for FOOD!! I need a special chapter on (instead of the special chapter on How To Train an Airedale as advertised on the front of DM's book) how to UN-food-motivate your Airedale. Sigh, is the sequel out soon DM??? (I take liberty to write all of this because DM owns a brother of "My Main Man" Kusa and in her infinite wisdom has been quoted to say "A VERY smart dog, but VERY annoying".

My Chiantra

To the tune of "My Bonnie Sails over the Ocean" (I've been hearing that baby i-pod too much because this is what I thought up while doing a drug review today at work):

My Chiantra she dives into the garbage
My Chiantra she takes out some meat
My Chiantra she chews up my Tupperware
Oh give me my Chiantra to beat.

Beat her, beat her, a good slap on her rear end
Beat her, beat her, but I know she will do it again

Total this past week: 1 Tupperware dish, one ziploc bag of rib juice from the garbage, one half of a CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE (this is taking things too far bitch, now you've made it personal, and I was only upstairs for 15 minutes giving Mayson a bath, arrrrghhh), pack of gum off kitchen table, used diaper from the garbage (although on my run the next day I found out that Kusa also partook of that prize, luckily for her it was only pee), broke into a bag of dogfood in the basement while I was down there on the treadmill, yes I should have noticed but I was really into What Not to Wear).

And why, you ask, do I insist on buying overpriced brand name Tupperware when my dog has this insanely aggravating habit. That is probably why, it is the terrier in me. It is like a battle of wills, and she will not win. If I fold, I am admitting defeat. I will keep on paying a small fortune for plastic to microwave my food in and give me cancer because if I go for the cheap stuff I am admitting she will never stop. And dammit, I am the alpha dog, she will listen to me, or at least she will likely die before me anyway.

Sugar is my Friend...mmmm sugar.

Okay, so I have this not-so-secret infatuation with cupcakes. I don't know what it is but I guess it because you can get cake in one little serving it cuts the guilt or something but anyway, let it be said that I cannot resist a miniature cake piled high (or low) with icing and fanciful decorative items. So, I was all too sad I had to leave my friends wedding on the long weekend because they hadn't passed out the cupcake wedding cake by the time Mayson went into meltdown necessicating our immediate exit. So I guess I made up for it this week when I tried out a new cupcake shop in my neighborhood called the Whimsical Cake Studio. I was most impressed with their offerings, the variety was a little less than the Cupcake Bakeshoppe but I have to say the cake was a cut above. It had a great dense moist texture whereas the Cupcake Bakeshoppe cake is a bit on the airy-fairy side for me (I take my cupcakes wet and heavy). Not to say the CB cake isn't good, it's just not my favorite style of cake (however I did try them when they very first opened and I have heard they have adapted their batter recipes since then). CB's icing however is the most heavenly stuff I could imagine piling 4 inches high on a cupcake (just don't eat them straight out of the fridge, the icing MUST be room temperature to be experienced properly) and bless their little hearts for putting the icing all the way to the edge. Great personalities too. But back to the WCS, their shop is all retro'd up and they have some really cute little baby/kids stuff, which somehow totally goes with cupcakes. The giftware was really reasonably priced and unique (they had tiny little baker aprons for toddlers). All in all, I loved WCS, just wish their icing went all the way to the edge because truly, the cupcake is really all about the icing isn't it?
Then, later this week I was in our newly renovated Riverbend Safeway (which is really beautiful with many novel features if you haven't been you simply must stop in for a look) and noticed that they too are now offering indivdually sold GOURMET cupcakes at their bakery. So I got one for hubby (which is still in the fridge, did I mention he is a freak?) and chocolate truffle one for me (choc cake, choc icing, with chocolate truffle coating over the icing). It was pretty damn good for half the price of the boutique cupcakes. So that is my cupcake dining experience so far this week, makes me want to head back over to CB (haven't had their cakes since my baby shower in May 2006).
Since I'm on the subject I have also tried Babycakes in Wolf Willow and found their cupcakes to be not very impressive. The cakes were too small and the icing not piled high enough to leave me wanting more.

Bloggers vanity

So when I started to blog I really didn't want anyone to know about it, then slowly a few people have found out and kept up reading it, mainly Sleepynita. I never wanted to write for an audience but really, the comments do motivate a blogger like I never expected. It must be like applause for performers or something but I find comments really get me fired up to write more, and I'm not one for attention so it's a bit strange. So anyway, comment away readers, yes all two of you, inspire me, motivate me, tell me I'm a loser, laugh at me, or shoot me down, whatever you have to offer, I love!

And now, if I were Bart Simpson's cousin, I would look like this...

New Do

Wow, is this a great looking blog or what?! Thank you so so much Sleepynita for the wonderful new page template. I am the envy of all the Airedale/mommy bloggers now. I love the color scheme Sleepynita chose, she is one creative gal that can also build a room and landscape a yard while her toddler sleeps. The question is when does Sleepynita sleep? Betweend writing HTML code for hours for friends, taking care of Rito, cooking, tearing down decks, and putting up walls I think she maybe one who should check into her sleep lab. Honestly, the girl cannot possibly be human. Anyway thanks, hope Rito sleeps well anyway so that you can find a cure for cancer.

By the way, my blog is not the only one who got a new do, check it out. Sprout has sprouts.

I have Airedale-polooza going on at my house this weekend. If you think 2 Airedales and a baby is a gong show you should see 4! Oh it's been a riot let me tell you. Between the dogs impersonating one another at meal time so that they can swap food for a day and then having diarrhea at 4 am because of it, to 4 chins that drip water from the water bucket for a good hour after drinking (some of which takes place in the big white swirling bowl in the little room off the kitchen), to a stampede every time we come home that ends in Mayson landing on her (thankfully diapered) butt wailing from the indignity of being knocked over by four tails it's really been a lot of fun. Here's to learning to appreciate what you have, and don't have. Next time I'm annoyed at my 2 beasts (which will likely be sometime in the next 13.23 minutes) I'll just remember what it would be like if they multiplied.

Hot Friday (starring Ava and Mayson)

As promised for J. , the two scantily clad beauties make their online debut...

The Bitch is Back

Okay, after nearly calling the vet check Chiantra's tatoo number to ensure they gave me the right dog I have confirmation it is indeed The Bitch. After a month or more of good behaviour she ate through a Tupperware lunch container from Kit's bag. I gave them both a beating. Oh yeah, it did become official the other day - Mayson is now as smart as Chiantra. Prior to this she was lagging a bit behind and this is likely the TSN turning point (I hope) where she pulls ahead and wins the race but she has confirmed now that she too knows how to open the baby gate on the stairs when she wants to go up and she too can now reach (and does steal) things on the countertops. She can, like The Bitch, also open the kitchen garbage can lid, except opposite to The Bitch, she likes to put things IN. Oh what a great team they could make if only Mayson would go first, unluckily that is not the case and thus her Strawberry Shortcake Tune-pod I do beleive has been donated to the seagulls residing in the city landfill . One day I will hear the song "I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas" and I will look up and seagull will have a red Tune-pod hanging arounds it's neck and then I will know for sure...arrrrggggghhhh.