Flu season

I was feeling fine yesterday.  Today, not so good.  I tried to get up and go to work, but my head has been hurting for three days and I have a fever now.  Callie and I took it easy today.  We had a big hike yesterday and she cut her paw on a rock.  It's healing well, but today we hung around town, much to her dislike.  It's been cold, and kids are in school, so the sick season has arrived.  I was feeling better for about a minute this afternoon.  Now my fever feels like it's back with a vengeance.  I have tomorrow off, so I hope that I start feeling better.  Things are changing at work, which isn't helping my immune system.  The new store is almost done and everyone is moving around, except me.  I know why, but I can't figure out what else to do right now.  I'm working on a story and hope to have it done soon and maybe out for review.  Sometimes I just wish I could sleep for a few days.  My body won't let me.  I get up, hike the dog, go to work, do some writing, try to stay off the pity pot.  Finally got a sponsor and worked the steps.  Someone in my group told me they felt enormous relief when they finished the steps.  I didn't feel that.  I felt exhausted.  The baggage gone.  I ran around for about a week looking for more baggage to carry.  Finally, I realized...there is no more baggage, now I get to redefine my life in terms of the present moment going forward.  But I spent so long lost, I don't know where to begin.  My sponsor says I have to allow myself to be.  I can explore whatever I want and create a life on purpose instead of letting things happen to me.  Make it a joy, not a job. It's a hard habit to break.  I'm used to things happening outside of me.  Looking at me was really hard, but worth it.  Now I get to do everything I wanted to do in the past, but I get to do it with a clear head and a clear conscience.  Maybe being sick is my bodies way of saying...awww!  I'm trying to take it easy on myself.  I thought for a long time that everything good that was going to happen has happened and it's too late to start anything new.  Today the thought went through my head that it's only to late to start something when I'm dead.  So I guess I better get started.  I'm glad I have Callie to make the journey with me.  She's a great friend!

Good article out of Chicago

Chicago is also where there is an ex-gang member, Sean Moore, is working with inner city kids teaching them to be responsible, loving pit bull owners.  He does work few can.  I listened to him give an interview on NPR.  Because he came from the tough streets he has respect that people like Michael Vick can never get.

Gypsy

As folks are out there celebrating Michael Vick's accomplishments on the field and looking to him as the possible MVP, let's remember the face of dog fighting.  I usually really like to celebrate the good news about pit bulls, but this showed up on my FB page last night.  Gypsy was found by the side of the road in North Carolina a number of years ago.  She is not a Vick dog, as has become urban myth.  The assessment is that she was used as a bait dog and then thrown on the side of the highway when the sociopaths were done with her.  She was picked up by a good Samaritan and taken to humanitarian doctors.  Although she had to undergo many surgery's and have a leg amputated, she was adopted out to a great human being who gave her a wonderful forever home, and I read she lived a full life.  Gypsy died last year.  Thank God there are good people out there who made the most of her ability to forgive and love.  Too bad there are people who would do this to an animal and think it's perfectly justified because "it's just a dog".  FYI,  other pits are not always what is used to train fighting dogs.  Your favorite and beloved pet disappears...it could have been stolen.  These people are sick and methodical and they are out there despite our best efforts to ignore them and pretend they don't really exist.  Please don't close your eyes to this.  Please don't forget there are many innocent victims to human depravity, not all of them survive.  Just because it is a dog, in some ignorant minds, doesn't mean it ever deserves this.  

Best Friends response to LA Times article

I want to work for Best Friends.  They continue to take the high road and are doing all the right things for all the right reasons.  

Great LA times column - can never be said enough

Let's hope Vick can't out run his past.  These types of stories need to be told.  Only then is there hope of ending exploitation and abuse.  I hope I live long enough to hear that dog fighting has become part of our embarrassing history.

Check out this website

The attached is Wallace's website.  I ran across it surfing the PBRC website.  Wallace is a national flying disc champion and a pit bull.  What a cool dog with a very cool family!  Roo Yori and his wife adopted Wallace from a shelter and have done amazing things with him.  The family has also adopted Hector from BAD RAP.  Hector was a Bad Newz Kennel dog rescued from the Vick fighting ring.  The more I learn, the more I'm disgusted that the NFL let Vick play again.  But Hector is in a safe place and the news is all good for him.  Hector is now a therapy dog.  I love these stories!

Obedience 101

Callie and I have completed basic obedience.  I got the thought one day out walking and she jumped on a lady who was hiking by herself.  Callie is very friendly and exuberant.  She loves everyone.  However, it dawned on me...finally...that unless I had better control of her, a day would come when she would scare someone.  It would escalate because of the way she looks, regardless of whether she's friendly or not.  So I signed up at "Angels in the Making" and work helped me out by making my schedule work with training.  I am grateful.  Callie tested 190 of a possible 200 points in obedience.  She didn't hold the wait/come command for a full minute.  At about 40 seconds she got bored and started walking towards me.  No matter, I am proud as can be of my girl.  She loved training and the interaction with other dogs, as always.  One dog there is a teeny-tiny chihuahua who was rescued from a puppy mill.  She had big problems with large dogs.  Callie brought her out of her shell and they had a fabulous time playing and working together!  What I love most is continuing to smash the pit bull stereotype of the killer dog.  I don't do anything nearly on the level of Bad Rap or Best Friends, or the many fabulous rescue groups on the front lines, but I believe that one by one, responsible pit owners can show the world these dogs are great pets, awesome companions and peaceful, loving dogs.