Mr. NYC finally called me at work yesterday (work related), but fessed up to not having called me back last weekend. We've both been pretty busy, but I hope to catch up with him between now and Monday. I had been starting to feel frustrated and a little "postal" again lately. Even talking with him at work makes me feel happy. It's instantaneous when I hear his voice. I don't know why... and I kind of wish I could tell him this, but don't want to creep him out (that is a bit of a heavy thing, being the only person in the world that makes someone else instantly happy just by talking to them about nothing in particular) and negate any future prospect of a possible relationship whenever I can move. Should hear something about the latest job application in a couple of weeks. Crossing my fingers. I am beyond ready to get out of here...
On the dog front- Was going to go back to agility class in Canada this week, but that got derailed because I was too exhausted. Will go back this next week. Have the Seattle KC trial next weekend (indoors on carpet). Given how she has been running lately, I am expecting big things. My goal is at least one double Q and a Q the other day in either class (there is no FAST at this trial). We went to practice some before my club's monthly meeting on Wednesday and I was getting some of the best, fastest running dogwalks ever from her. She ran the whole thing. No jumping. A perfect stride through every contact zone. She has been holding up to the six weeks between accupuncture treatments (we are in the second interval). Hardly any panting in the car or other signs of stress. I even wonder if her crappy performance at Portland was because I pulled her from the last day of the trial the previous weekend (where she had been running decent) and she didn't understand why (it was because I was exhausted due to the anemia, which hadn't been diagnosed yet) and took it personally (which she definitely acted like she didn't understand why she was leaving). I am thinking/feeling/hoping that I will have the dog back that I had two years ago soon. I can't wait....
BTW- I have taped most of my runs outside of Portland, but there is nothing that warrants posting yet. I would really like to put something up (at least the first time) that shows what we are capable of as a team. Maybe this next weekend it will all come together.
Run 1: Excellent Standard- She RAN FAST!! And I wasn't quite ready to handle her with speed. Babysat the teeter too long and missed a front cross after the following jump, so she went up the dogwalk instead of doing the weave poles (it was pretty much a discrimination between the two obstacles). Did some sniffing before I got her into the poles, popped at the 10th (pretty standard, one day when I can do some real training with a set of 12 24" spaced ones regularly we'll fix that for good). She then bounced off the table, because I had fogotten it was the next obstacle after the A Frame. When I realize it was, I just ran at it and didn't tell her anything. Even with the mistakes and bit of sniffing, she had a nice time. NQ, but VERY HAPPY to have a dog that was RUNNING!
Run 2: Excellent JWW- Somebody turned her nose on. Released her from the start line and she ran toward the gate. Got her going nice and then she sniffed her way out of the weave poles and managed to skip a couple of jumps on the way to the finish. Still running fast. She was having fun, so... SCREW THE NQ!
She RAN. She was happy. We can fix the crappy handling in two weeks at Seattle (where she will be running on carpet, so unless there are the kids sitting on the floor with popcorn again her nose should be pretty much out of play too). I have also entered one day at the Boston Terrier club trial at Argus later in the month (Saturday so we can do FAST) and we have one day of an Masters/Excellent seminar with Daisy Peel that my club is putting on. Can't plan further than that right now. After I am done with this, will be tweaking my resume and applying for the new position in NYC tomorrow. Should hear around the 19th. Hoping and planning to be gone at the end of the month....
Start my new college classes tomorrow. Got A- in both classes. Did worse on the final in the "easy" class than I did the "hard" one.
Helped at the trial on Saturday. Came home to a miserable dog, because she got left home and didn't get to play. I felt pretty lost without having her there. Since we have been trialing, the only other trial I was at without her was the one I was chairing when she had a back injury three years ago. Glad I am taking her back to classes in Canada on at least a drop in basis this week. She needs more time with mom, which she hasn't gotten these last few months (not to mention the lack of any REAL training). I am also going to focus on walking her after work now that it is staying light out later.
Questions/comments of the weekend from others to me:
"I thought you were leaving" or "Why are you still here?"- Had to give the rundown of the NYC saga at least a couple dozen times to various people who haven't seen me in a month or two.
"Wow, you're getting skinny" and "I like your hair cut"- Yep, minus 45 (and counting) since last may. To the second comment, I somehow felt obligated to explain to people about the hair loss episode. The universal reply was, "I wouldn't have known if you hadn't said anything." Guess that means I'm just self-conscious about such things.
This weekend is my club's agility trial, which I only made it in to for tomorrow night. My goal for tomorrow is a Double Q. Let's get out first one at home in front of everybody we know. We havee another trial in Seattle in a couple of weeks and will probably enter another trial Saturday only for later in the month (because the have FAST that day). I have decided that until I can have some real time to TRAIN my dog, I am not going to try to enter her back in Rally or Obedience. We will just mostly focus on agility this year and I plan on starting back at classes with my trainer in Canada this next week.
Will be updating my resume this weekend and putting in an application for one of the new positions back in NYC next week. Should hear about it by the middle of next month and would start training in April if it happens.
My instructor actually took the assignment that I forgot to turn in and graded it! Not to mention that he gave me 98 out of 100 and didn't take any points for it being late! That put me back at an A-. I might be able to get it up to an A if I did well on the final. Right now I'm on my week off between class sessions and will start Foundations of Business and Research Writing next week.
I went to the Olympics last weekend! I stood in line and took some good pictures of the cauldron with the flame on my camera phone. My regular digital camera just got glare no matter what setting it was on (and with the flash turned off!). I didn't actually go to any of the sporting event, but seeing the flame qualifies as being there. Many of the streets in downtown Vancouver are shut down and it is like a huge street fair. Bigger crowd that even Times Square in NYC.
Better get going...Need to go help load equipment for the trial a bit later. I DO hope to finally get some decent video I can post tomorrow, as I should easily be able to get some to film me.
I have gotten a little more clarity in my head about the way forward with the job thing, but the ultimate issue right now is that I really just have to wait out the next couple of months and see where things fall back there. I am bound and determined to be moved back to the NYC area by the end of the year, whatever it takes.
Run 1: Excellent Standard- This was a really nice run, except that she blew the weave poles. Didn't pull out, just got completely distracted before she could hit the entry (they were paralell to the side of the ring).
Run 2: Excellent JWW- Clean run. Didn't make time... Threw in about six extra front crosses just so I could keep moving. I am sure it was quite entertaining for those watching.
Day 4
Run 1: Excellent Standard- Clean run. Didn't make time... Seeing a theme here...
Run 2: Excellent JWW- Pokey slow. Wrong end of the tunnel and then missed the weave entrance.
Problems this weekend- Pulling out of the weave poles, SLOOOW weave poles, don't want to down on the table (she eventually did every time, but it took FOREVER), pulling off jumps (split equally between my errors and her errors), just plain SLOW.
I don't know what to do at this point. The slowness almost seems like the shutting down she does in the obedience ring (PS- I skipped obedience completely on Saturday, didn't want to put her through another bad experience in the ring and didn't think there was any hope for a better result than Friday). She did speed up an RUN (rather nicely, a couple of times) after she/we had already screwed up and NQ'd. I wish I could do some concentrated training with her, but nothing is going to fall into place until I figure out which direction life is going in (and it had better go in the NYC direction for anything real to happen).
Right now, IF we are still here, my next trial will be my club's trial at the end of next month. Hoping that we are not still here, I might otherwise be looking at a trial in NJ in April.
She really needs to get back in a class again. I really want that, but as long as I am here and committed to teaching rally for my club, I can't do it. With the college classes I can only manage to be "tied up" on an ongoing basis for one night per week. If I move, I can ditch that commitment and will also be able to pull some equipment out and do some apartment agility. The pause table could live in the living room again for a while and we could put out the weaves in a hall of something.
I JUST WANT TO GET ON WITH LIFE!!! All the stupid "little" things about being here that keep getting in the way. If I started listing them, you wouldn't understand why some of these "little" things add up to major disruptions in our (Duchess and me) life. I need to get to a place where my life schedule is a clean slate except work and school and that I can build things around that the way I want/need them to be without anybody or anything else interfering.
Run 2: Excellent Standard- Duchess started slow and blew an A Frame/tunnel discrimination because she was SNEEZING! No, not "reverse sneezing" where they go into breathing spasms, but actual, honest to God SNEEZING! And then she did the tunnel AGAIN! And then she just kinda stood there and I FINALLY got her up the A Frame. The rest of the run, as I recall, wasn't that bad.
Run 3: Excellent JWW- Okay, my dog is allergic to agility! SNEEZING AGAIN for the first 1/3rd of the course! She was trying to keep going and then just finally came to a dead stop in front of a jump. After the refusal, she quit sneezing (go figure) and actually turned on the afterburners! Pretty darn good speed for the other 2/3rds of the run and the nicest set of weave poles thus far this weekend or last. Now if she can run tomorrow like she ran the last 2/3rds of this course, we've got it made!
Novice A Obedience- Agility and obedience together is NOT a magic bullet, as I had thought after the Seattle KC show last year. She dragged through the heeling and wouldn't come on the recall. We'll try again tomorrow. If I didn't need just one more Q for her CD/VCD1, I'd just quit. I like obedience and she likes the training (she heels like she should be the National Champion in training, go figure), but the ring is just too stressful. Debating whether I should maybe change course, stop working on the CD for a while and take her back out for rally and make a huge effort on making it fun for her.
Run 2: Excellent Standard- Pulled her off a jump in a pinwheel. Thought that she had committed and...she hadn't. She also hit her weave entrance, gradually slowed down, and popped around the 8th pole. Since we were NQing, I just went on. Have decided there is no point in making her re-do weaves. The remainder of the course, she sped up and ran pretty nicely.
Run 3: Excellent JWW- This was pretty darn good (albeit she was running kind of slow), until she pulled off a jump on the last line because she saw something on the floor (mats) that was like a speck of paper. Of course the Beagle in her said "It might be edible". I then pulled her off the second to last jump too, but didn't matter at that point. She had nice weaves and, despite her appearing to be slow, I think we would have gotten a few MACH points if she hadn't been distracted.
1 for 3, but much better than last weekend. I didn't let down on my handling and will continue to push her tomorrow. Hopefully we will finish our CD/VCD1 tomorrow too. If we finish tomorrow, I am not going to make her go back and do another run Saturday.
No Thyroid issues. Blood test came back smack in the middle of the normal range. Have an appointment with a dermatologist Monday afternoon. The good news is that the hair loss is not getting worse and my hair itself has gotten better. In the two weeks before I REALLY noticed the thinning (I notice it had thinned in the back a bit as early as the middle of December, but had not noticed it had thinned ALL OVER) it had gotten really dry and brittle. If I tried to condition it more, it just made it flat and limp. It is back to being silky again and I can actually style it enough to make it not look so bad. Have to live with the split ends though, but things could be worse.
I will load up the videos from last weekend at some point this weekend. There was nothing really impressive, but it is Duchess running... Hoping for impressive this weekend. Need to finish that darn FAST title (I blew that last weekend), need some decent MACH points (Would 50 be too much to ask at this point since we had 0 last weekend?) and would like at least one Double Q (Please?). We also need to finish her CD. I think that will happen.
NYC job news update- They are STILL on a hiring freeze for all positions back there. The hiring manager should know something around February 1st (maybe?). I have a hard time believing that if I was not still legitimately in contention for this job that she (the hiring manager) would not have told me something in the past couple of months. Hopefully some of the people may have taken themselves out of consideration due to the long wait.
I promise that I will run my dog with conviction, like I MEAN IT, in Portland. No more tentative weave pole handling. No more not holding her accountable for her start lines (but I won't pull her for breaking).
Day 1
Run 1: Open FAST- Not a bad run. She blew her weave entrance (tentative handling) and decided to take a sniffing detour when I first sent her to the send, but then she recovered. Q'd (barely) with 55 points.
Run 2: Excellend Standard- Sniffed on the start line and had to just about drop kick her over the first jump, sniffed in the weaves (2 refusals), and then didn't want to down on the table. She ran nice in between. NQ
Run 3: Open JWW- Pretty good run, but barely made time. Q with NO MACH points.
Day 2
Run 1: Open FAST- This SHOULD have been our title. She blew the weave entrance (tentative handling AGAIN) and then wasted time back-weaving. The buzzer went when she was in the middle of the teeter in the send. In hindsight. I DIDN'T NEED the points from the weaves to Q. Damn me! Guess we'll get the title next weekend.
Run 2: Excellend Standard- Another sniffing start line. Was a pretty good run until she decided to get on the teeter and then turn around and get off the teeter to sniff something. AAARGHH! NQ
Run 3: Excellent JWW- Another sniffing start line (theme, have to fix this and the tenative handling with the weaves). She just ran too slow. I got WAY ahead of her and front crossed the weaves to keep my momentum (was going to cross after them). She popped at the second pole. The rest of the run was good, but still WAY TOO SLOW... NQ
So here's where I'm at.. I honestly don't think there's a MACH in our future. Can Duchess run fast? Yes!!! She did last fall, but she is so hit and miss. At this point in time she is a bit overweight, however I don't think it is that specifically OR an injury OR truly a motivation problem. Also, at this point in the game, I'm just not inclined to spend inordinate amount of time and money trying to diagnose and fix this problem. We'll try for our MX, MXJ, MXF. Going forward, I am not doing any more instances of two trial weekends in a row (unless it is a special event situation, and this will carry forward to future dogs too to keep my balance in life). IF by the time we get our MX, MXJ, MXF something changes about her performance in the direction of more consistant speed, we may keep going. If not, I will quit trialing her, but make sure she is in a master's level class as long as she is sound and still likes to play (because she really does LOVE agility, just can't get her back to where we were two years ago performance wise).
PS- It made my day to see that Mr. NYC has wished me good luck on Facebook. Just another reason why I like the guy.
Will be heading down to Argus Ranch outside of Auburn tomorrow for the Evergreen Afghan Hound Club trial. Three days with two having FAST. I hope to finish our OF this weekend. If not, I really want at least one Q and we can finish next weekend in Portland. I also want at least one Double Q (would be our first) and to at least Q in either Standard or JWW each of the other days (and get decent MACH points). Between this weekend and next weekend, I would like 3 Double Qs and 100 MACH points, our OF and hopefully the first leg of our XF.
Went to Canada to do a drop in class tonight, as we hadn't seen equipment since mid-December. She was pretty gung ho and handled well, but my instructor commented that she is the fattest she has ever seen her. This is true. My mom and grandma keep feeding her and then saying, "It was just a crumb" or "I just let her lick the plate." I had it out with them and told them it had to STOP IMMEDIATELY. I have asked them at least a dozen times, NICELY, over the past year. At this point, if she gets injured due to carrying the extra weight, they can decide between themselves how they are going to split up the vet bills. Just another reason I need to move to NYC, NOW!
Sent an email to the hiring manager yesterday. Didn't want to seem impatient, however since I am going to be gone for most of the next week and a half I wanted to let her know and make sure she had my direct number to contact me. I got an out of office that showed this whole week, so I assume she is on vacation this week. Hopefully that means that things might start moving when she gets back next week and that I will be on her list of candidates to interview.
2009- Bes year of the decade for me. Finally got life going in the direction I want it, more or less. Here's to continuing the positive momentum into 2010 (especially the next couple of months).
My life really has come a million miles this year. A year ago I was still getting over getting kicked out of the place I had lived for 8 1/2 years. A couple of months later, the whole idea of moving on to a different job and moving to NYC started to happen. I subsequently made friends with Mr. NYC through working with him and let him know my plans. I went back to college online. I spent two weeks in California relaxing with the part of my family who really truly supports me and what I am trying to do with my life. I took a trip back to NYC and got to meet the people that I work with and check things out, which confirmed that that was truly the place I want to be. And now I am just waiting on the job to happen, which I will hopefully be hearing about in the next few weeks.
On the dog front, things were tumultuous. Relapse of anxiety from the car accident and a pulled muscle kept us sidelined and limited Duchess' performance for most of the year. She now is doing better with the anxiety than she has since the accident happened and we are spacing her accupunture sessions out to six week intervals. Her pulled muscle seems to have healed, however I have a slight concern as we took a couple of hikes last weekend (9 miles total) and she seemed a bit sore afterward (and yelped when my vet put in the needles in that area this week). Hopefully we will be able to make some serious progress toward her MACH this year. Right now we have 25 points and no Double Qs. I have two trials this month, 3 days one weekend and 4 days another weekend (Portland). We also entered obedience two days at Portland and will hopefully finally finish her CD and VCD1. My goals for these two weekends are at least one Q in Standard or JWW each day with at least 3 Double Qs, 100 MACH points between the two weekends, finish our OF and get a Q toward our XF. After that, I will jopefully be getting an interview in NYC and life will be moving forward (which means our next trials would be on the east coast).
I can't wait to see what 2010 will bring. I truly believe that things are going to continue moving forward and that I will finally be able to get on with life.
I don't know what I am going to do with myself for two weeks with no specific plans. I have things I want to do, but no set days to do them. I just pinged my friend in San Francisco on Facebook tonight to see if he will be around for me to go up and visit (he had posted something about going back to WA to visit his parents during the time I'm down here). Either way, I do want to go up to SF for a day. I'd like to go the beach one day and I want to spend some time shopping to see about getting started on the NYC wardrobe (FYI- still no official news from my buddy, but I did send him my personal email and phone number before I left yesterday and asked him to keep me posted). I'd like to put a couple of miles a day on Duchess and I too, since I won't be able to go to they gym like I do at home. Almost 30 pounds off and I can't quite fit in the next size down of jeans, yet the ones I have are too baggy and make me feel frumpy wearing them (the butt, waist, and thighs fit the next size down, but I still have a bit too much gut <sigh>). Guess I'd better hit the Abs of Steel when I get back home.
Had my ipod on shuffle the whole way today (550 miles and about 10 hours of driving). I listen to such a variety of music that it can get pretty interesting what kind of song combinations end up getting played, however I was quite enjoying it and look forward to more of it tomorrow (and even more on the way home). Staying at Motel 6. Duchess is currently crashed out on the pillows on the bed. Her new crate (she broke the zipper on her old soft crate and I will eventually get it fixed, just didn't have time before the trip) doesn't let me see her while I am driving very well, so I can't really gauge what her stress level is while travelling. She didn't seem completely wiped out when we got here, though, and seemed okay whenever we stopped. Glad I got her in for an accupuncture tune-up at the vet Wednesday.
Run 1: Excellent B Standard- Good start and then I caused her to drop the double. Told her "go tunnel" while she was in the air and then started backing up toward the A Frame (which was the next obstacle after the tunnel). She head checked (turned half her body, in fact) in mid-air, dropped her back leg, and took off the back bar. If it hadn't been a spread she would have gotten away with it, but it was just bad handling. You live, you learn. I could tell she was stung a little by hitting the bar because she was a little slow the next few obstacles to the table (not gimpy, though, or I would have picked her up). The rest of the course was very nice. She nailed a hard weave entrance and was blasting through them, but pulled out on the last pole because I took off too soon (my bad again, but we were already NQing).
Run 2: Excellent B JWW- I didn't think she would make time on this, but she was actually running very nicely. Very twisty, turny course (serpentine, pinwheel, line of jumps, serpentine, pinwheel again). It was all good until the weaves (2nd to last obstacle, AGAIN). She stopped dead in the middle to look at some dogs being walked along the side of the ring (the weaves were paralell to the side). Between this and the dog barking on Saturday, I know what we will be proofing at practice!
A little stressed and frustrated with the rest of life. I start orientation for school tomorrow and was talking with Mr. NYC this morning and he REALLY needs to talk to me about the situation back there NOW (like today, which I can't do because I have to teach obedience <and he went home early from work sick anyway>, but tomorrow I have to make it happen). He pretty much said by the middle of next month he won't be working with me any longer (and started getting choked up about it), but he'll tell me more when we talk. If he is still going to be anywhere in the NYC area I am TELLING him that I will hunt him down to meet him and that he's going to go and have a drink with me on my birthday when I'm back there. No matter what or where he is going, there is no way I am going to let him just ride off into the sunset and lose contact with me.
Talking to him is priority #1 right now (besides orientation), but then my academic advisor called me today for the FIRST TIME wanting to set up an appointment. I still don't know what classes I am going to take starting next week. AAARRRGGHHH!!!!
The run started nicely (the rain had let up to just a sprinkle). Duchess was so fast that I missed a front cross and had to do a really wonky rear cross down this line of jumps which then had a 180 turn to the weaves. I shaped the weave entrance and she hit it nicely, got into a good rhythm, and then at the 6th pole, her head cranked up and she just took off out of the weaves. I thought she had sighted on something outside the ring and was running over to the ring barrier, but by the time I called her, I realized she was actually half way through the chute. WTF?! I have NEVER had her just go WAHOO and randomly run for the chute, let alone in the middle of a set of weave poles that she was fairly well engaged in (BTW, she isn't really a tunnel suck dog either). Since she had just NQ'd us anyway, I just had her go on. If she REALLY wanted to do the chute that badly, heck, go for it!.
Next was the dogwalk. I started running and then I felt it. My feared wardrobe malfunction was happening and I could tell that my pants were being dragged down by the weight of the water soaked into them. I grabbed them by the waist and started hiking them back up, still attempting forward motion with some speed, and eliciting a strange look from the judge. I turned to her and said, "My pants are so wet that they are falling down" and she busted out laughing. I got Duchess to the end of the dogwalk and, THANK GOD, the table was next. It was a sit. I was trying to get Duchess to sit, stay sitting, kind of lead out, and securely hike up my pants at the same time. Judge is still laughing during the table count :) Needless to say, we probably took 15 seconds on the table because I could only really give her verbals to keep sitting (she kept popping up just about every second in the count). This was probably due to the fact I was still dealing with the pants situation and that she usually needs more babysitting in the sit, so I wouldn't normally try the lead out I was attempting without a strong hand signal reinforcement for her to hold position (which at the moment, I didn't have any hands to spare).
The reason I was leading out was that the next sequence was a jump with a sharp turn to another jump (or your dog would go sucking into the yawning tunnel mouth directly in front of the jump if you were not in position to call them). I obviously didn't make it into the position that I wanted to be in and she obliged by going in the tunnel (whatever, let her have fun, we're NQing anyway and I just want to finish the course with my pants up, LOL). The finish was fast and uneventful.
So now we have a problem... There is no way in hell I can run jumpers with my pants threatening to fall down. What am I going to use for a belt. I remembered that I had a 2-2 1/2 foot leather obedience leash in the bottom of my training bag, so I went and got it. Close, but no cigar. My waist isn't THAT small, and I don't have a choke chain with me. Then my friend, who has Ridgebacks, came to the rescue by lending me one of her show choke chains that PERFECTLY completed the "BELT". There was no way those pants were falling down now! Only dog people would improvise like that....
Run 2: Excellent B JWW- Nice run. Decent speed, but not as fast as standard was (or really could have been, given the circumstances). Just as we were approaching the weaves, a dog outside the ring started barking and Duchess stopped dead and turned to look. Luckily she was nowhere near the entrance, but when I called her to get her to weave again, she ALMOST stopped at the entrance. I barely managed to thread her in without her stopping her forward motion completely and incurring a refusal. The rest of the course was nice. We barely made time (under by less than 1 second, so no MACH points), but a Q nonetheless. MXJ leg #3.
Run 3: Open FAST- Nice start and then it fell apart at the end. Nailed the send bonus and went for the 10 A-B combo. She did the A Frame and then took off on me before I could turn her to do the part B jump. Oh well. Buzzer ran. Duchess just STOOD THERE for 10 seconds while I desperately tried to call her over the finish jump and watched out Q slip away (we would have had JUST enough points without being over time and eating them up with faults). NQ. Very frustrating, since we don't get to do FAST very often and my Q's seem to get blown by being over time or not doing the weave poles when we need them for points (I am trying to avoid having them in my PLAN now, if possible).
The JWW and FAST judge was a local woman, who is also the head trainer at Argus Ranch and organized the agility camp we went to last month. She says that I do impressively with my dog on many levels and asked if I had thought about being a judge. I sort of have, but with so many other changes going on in life, right now would not be the time. Maybe in the future. I have the 5 years of trialing experience required, but would need to finish the MX/MXJ and take a turn at secretarying a trial before I would meet the full requirements (I have done every other trial job at this point, including chief course builder and chairing trials MANY times). I am really glad that people recognize how hard I have worked with Duchess and how much I really try to be involved in the greater dog community around here. I will miss the NW dog community when I move. Hopefully the NE people are a good bunch too (however I have heard some things from judges about assignments they have taken back there..but I will judge for myself when I get back there).
One more day and we probably won't be trialing again until January (except my club's obedience trial, and hopefully we'll get Duchess' CD there, which will also complete her VCD1).
In other life news... Haven't had a chance to talk to Mr. NYC outside of work yet. We were both really busy this week. Life is crazy trying to cram in appointments before I leave for California in three weeks. Also, I am officially starting online classes with University of Phoenix as of the 28th. I do orientation next week. Less than two months until I got to NYC (and My Birthday!!). Very exciting time of life, but very exhausting too... More tomorrow. (And I will be wearing "THE BELT" once again, given that I only brought the one pair of pants with me).
Run 2: Excellent B JWW- Slow start and missed the weave pole entrance (but so did a ton of other dogs, so I don't feel that bad). She sped up nicely in the more open section of the course. NQ
I might as well post my goals for next weekend now. I want to get my one Open FAST Q (still need two to title, but only one run next weekend) and I really want our first Double Q (and at least 10 more MACH points). That will likely be our last trial until January, however at this point things ultimately depend on the job and NYC things. If it all happens and I move, we may not be trialing again until next spring or summer...
Run 1: Excellent B Standard- Really nice run overall. Similar to yesterday's run, but she did stop and space out on me between the second and third jumps (but was luckily nowhere near any obstacles, so no refusals). Fairly decent speed. Q, first leg of Duchess' MX, and 8 MACH points.
Run 2: Excellent B JWW- Not the best start. Had two space out moments similar to the first run and her overall speed was okay, but not as good. Ran clean, but 4 seconds over course time. NQ.
Run 1: Excellent B Standard- Awesome run for Duchess! Not so awesome for her handler. She aced the very technical opening section of jumps, beautiful running contact on the dogwalk with a tight turn into the tunnel underneath, good weave poles, didn't refuse the teeter (and she HATES this club's teeter particularly, blew a Q by bailing off last year). And it was all good until the A Frame. What is the first commandment of handling Duchess in agility? Thou shalt not rear cross her onto the A Frame. I missed my front cross (either I was running out of breath because she was moving so well <yes she was pretty darn FAST!> or I just spaced my handling plan) and... I attempted the rear cross. Spin right at the base of the A Frame. Refusal. NQ. AAARRRGGHHH!!! The best friggin' run I had had from her in eons (okay, she did have a pretty good run at my club's trial in July when we finished her AX) and I blew it!! And found out afterward that only one dog Q'd, so if not for that mistake, we would have had a multiplier!!!
Run 2: Excellend B JWW- Not particularly fast, but not pokey slow, until she decided to stop dead in front of a jump (she just does this some times, don't know why, drives me nuts, especially when it is the first jump on course and she NQ's us with a refusal before we even get started). Had to cajole her over it and then two jumps later she stopped again to lookie loo out through the ring fencing. Got her going again and finished well, but another NQ. This one was her fault, not mine, so we're even now (I guess).
I've told her she owes me a Double Q tomorrow :)
AND ON THE NYC FRONT- Well, my life might be going into fast forward. Talked to Mr. NYC at work yesterday. His boss has taken another position heading up a new team and now Mr. NYC is torn between either applying to go work on that team (he is really loyal to his boss, as he worked with him at another company previously and he got him on in his current position) or to apply for his boss' old job. He wanted to ask the head of their department before applying for his boss' job, however, as he went for a similar position before and did not get it and wants to make sure he is actually a contender before applying (versus just getting an interview that really wasn't going to lead anywhere).
Logic follows that, if he gets either position (I am pretty much assuming he would get one or the other), they will have to post his job as they cannot leave only one person handling major accounts in NYC (he is already doing the job of two people because they decided not to fill the position that was vacated this spring that set me on this course in the first place and there is only one other person if he is not there). And if they post his position, and he thinks I have a snowball's chance in hell of even getting an interview (I wanted to wait another year to beef up my credentials as I am slightly lacking based on what their basic requirements are, but based on the actual job description, I feel that I am PERFECT for the position), I CAN"T NOT APPLY!. The rest of my life is not where I want it to be based on what another year would give me and that would make the transition a bit more difficult (assuming I get the position, I am thinking positively if this all goes down like I think it might), but given the bad things that have happened with even worse timing over the past few years, how in HELL could I turn down trying for the good thing I want so badly regardless of if the timing is ideal or not. I emailed him before I left work today and said that I would really like to have another post work chat next week given the situation, and I hope he will indulge me.
Wouldn't life be crazy coming full circle in one year- Moved back with my family last November... Moving to NYC this November? Having a hard time wrapping my brain around this and beneath the surface I feel like I have been screaming at the top of my lungs for the last 24 hours partially because I am excited and partially because I am scared to death at the same time, but the two emotions are so intertwined that you could not possibly separate them.
I applied to go back to school online with University of Phoenix yesterday. Unless something doesn' t work out, I should start back on the 28th of this month!
PACH- Preferred Agility Champion. Thank you. Maybe that means we could play longer. There was never any use to me in dropping to Preferred because Duchess couldn't get a championship and, especially with all of our difficulties and that fact that she is truly a talented agility dog and cannot help some of the things we've been through, she deserves that title. And a Performance National Championship too? We probably wouldn't go for that at this point in the game, but it would also reward those dogs who just couldn't quite do it at the normal heights otherwise and really deserve it.
The rest of the stuff-
No more MACH multipliers- It will make MACHs harder for some dogs. I don't have a problem with this as long as they put in the Preferred Championship and Nat'l Championship.
Silver, Gold, Platinum, Century titles- I like this. Makes it more in line with other organizations.
Weave Spacing- I ultimately have no problem with the 24" weaves, if they are standard across all organizations. Seems USDAA will be the only hold out if this goes through (AAC they are mandatory as of next summer).
Weave Poles, Three Strikes Your Out- This is fair. No more having Novice people try ten times and then just get frustrated with their dog and teach them to be unsuccessful. If an Open or Excellent dog can't do them in three tries, well....
Retry and Leave Course for Chute Tangles and Falling Off Contacts- This will help to show dogs that there is nothing to be afraid of with equipment at trials. What if your dog jumps off the teeter before it drops?
Teeter Testing- Everybody claims their teeters are the legal standard, but I know there are many that are slooow. Duchess says yes to fast teeters.
Postionless Table- Doesn't teach your dog anything. They should have to do something. I'll still be asking for a down if this goes through.
Triple Jump in Novice- You have to do it in Open anyway. Big deal. Train your dogs!
Other Equipment Stuff- Could care less, pretty much, but don't dumb down the courses too much (I don't mind the 180 turns from the tunnel to the A Frame).
Just my two cents. We have AKC trials the next two weekends, 3 days this weekend and 2 days the next. Only 1 run of FAST (that sucks) out of both trials. Started looking at motels for Portland already and the Motel 6's closest to the site have already either filled up or have blocked out their online reservations so they can jack up the prices (like they did at the last minute last year, DESPITE what you agreed to online originally). Looking at one south of Portland. 20 mile drive, but $35.xx per night after the AKC discount makes it do-able. Never mind that they entry fees will be $218 for 4 days fo Standard and JWW with FAST on two days. It's our last shot and given that I threw out the trials on the California trip, we HAVE TO DO IT!
Regarding Preferred, we're still going for our MX MXJ and I would like our MXF without starting back in Preferred on that one.
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