They Took His Manhood... He Was Just A Boy

Yes, It happened. At the tender age of four months Junior was neutered. His big day was September 22, 2011, a Thursday. These pictures were taken on the day before. Wednesday is his weekly dog park day and his last frolic with his dingleberries.

The dog park venture last week was rather unremarkable. It seemed like Junior was aware of his fate and not eager to get on the way he usually does. Also, none of his friends were there, not even Tucker. There was a rain cloud... just one. It was directly above my head. Being that it was just a drizzle and I was the epitome of lazy, I just sat there and got rained on. It passed soon enough.

LETS GO!!

From time to time Junior doesn't want to get in the car. Its especially bad when Bear-Handbanana isn't there. Sometimes, if you can get him to put his paws up there, he will go ahead and jump in the car. Other times, like trips to the Vet, you have to pick him up like a sack of flour and throw him in the back seat. He rides fairly well for the most part. Although he vomits on long trips and it saddens me.

We get to the Vet and Junior had actually LOST weight. He lost 4 or 5 pounds. There is still a great debate about his weight. I have recently switched him to Blue Buffalo Dog Food. It is supposed to be more wholesome and have less filler. I'll be sure to post about it. But I digress. The veterinary technician went to take him to the back and he decided he did not want to go and would rather jump over the counter and make a getaway.

At this point, I drove the 9.9 miles back home and carried out my Thursday as usual. I did spend extra time with Bear-Handbanana. He really needed some time with out Junior (You'll see why later on in this post).

When I went to pick him up, The tech gave me the spiel about what he can and cannot do, when he can bathe, when to feed him, yadda, yadda, yadda. Well she brought him out and

happened. He was jumping all over the place. I am glad I didn't pay the extra money for the pain medicine. Honestly, I don't believe he was feeling any pain whatsoever. I didn't have a cone of shame for him, so I had to improvise.

He was not at all as enthused and the video made it seem. He didn't wear it for long. I would threaten him with it when I caught him rooting around in his downstairs. The shame was enough motivation to keep his snout out of there.

In those instructions I can't say I gave my undivided attention to and the handout I didn't read whatsoever there were elicit details about safe play time. I knew for a fact that I intentions of keeping him on a leash for the next ten days. That nonsense barely lasted the evening. Let fast forward three days to September 25th.

I know, you think I am a terrible pet parent. But in my own defense, I would probably do the same thing if they were children. I stopped him, but only after I had it recorded. Its funny to me.

As you may or may not know, Junior is my first large breed puppy. I had no idea they get staples instead of stitches. He had 3 furniture staples across his junk. Wanna See?

Yea that just happened.

Lets skip ahead to Saturday, October 1, 2011. After class, I snatched him up and took him to get those staples removed. Although the removal took 8 mins and was free, I still spent an hour in the store and spent $60. I loathe Petsmart. While I was there, I picked up some flea and tick shampoo. Turns out, that giant puppy had quite the infestation. That means Bear-Handbanana has them too. Lucky for me, they aren't allowed on the carpet. A quick vacuum and we were good to go, but, baths all around for the quadrupeds.

I am almost ashamed to say, this was his first bath since he moved here. That is a seriously strong puppy and I was a little nervous about it.

I know what you're thinking and yes Maurice is a terrible videographer, but he pays half the rent so what can I do about it.

First Day of School

Maurice and I took Bear-Handbanana and Junior to the dog park on Friday. Luckily Maurice didn't have to work because it took Junior 4 hours to get comfortable enough to play with anyone. The dog park is split into 2 play areas, a space for dogs under 25lbs and a larger space for dogs over 25lbs. Initially, we had both dogs in the small dog space because there weren't any other dogs on that side.

We wanted to give him an opportunity to get used to the smells and sounds of the dog park in general. Once we realized he was not going to give Bear-Handbanana a moments rest, it was time to move him to the big dog side. Maurice called the transition "College Freshman Syndrome". Junior went from being the big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a much bigger pond with fish bigger than he had ever seen.

Maurice stayed with Bear most of the afternoon, although Bear would have given his pointy ear to come over to the big dog side. At one point, he had begun to climb the fence. He was nearly 8 inches off the ground before we realized. [side note: This is most likely how Bear has been getting out of the yard. I know he knows how to climb a baby gate, but he only does it when it is blocking the bedroom door. I definitely have to get the underground fence. That way he cannot get to the end of the driveway.] I think I will let him come over and meet Sumo when we go back on Monday.

I'm not gonna lie, I almost gave up on Junior's ability to get in there and make nice with the other dogs. By the three hour mark I had grown weary of him standing behind my legs, too scared to pee. Had I not gotten carried away in conversation with the other dog parents we would have packed it up and left

long before 4 hours. Luckily he found Molly, a springer spaniel. Maurice actually

remembers when she was on the small dog side, playing with Bear and Scooter. She is the sweetest little girl and even though she had about 20lbs on Junior, she was uber gentle. I was so surprised he started playing I nearly forget to get the camera out.

Junior also made friends with Dixie, and 10 month old black lab/ English Mastiff mix. She is expected to grow to 150lbs.

Other dog related news:

1. You never learn people names at the dog park. You could run into a park regular at Target and chat for hours about nothing and still not realize where you know them from... until they mention they have a dog. In that moment, you remember the dog's name, breed and collar/ harness color.

2. Mr. Bennett is not a person. He is a bloodhound.

a. The call of the bloodhound is and awesome sound. It reminds me of beginning band at Carr Lane.

b. I watched a bloodhound poop. It was hilariously awesome.

3. Everybody Knows Sumo. He is very beefy and very lean. When he runs, every muscle is visible under his skin. Don't let his massive size and gold menacing eyes fool you. He is a pushover.

*Notice Bear in the background of both those pictures. He spent most of the afternoon pacing the fence.

4. Fifteen year old dogs that have Parkinson's and suffered a stroke 2 weeks ago sill like to hump pretty lady dogs. Shep is all skin and bones. His person said she has push back his "put down" date three times because he just keeps getting better. Shep it trying to outlive us all.

5. While at the park, I asked the other dog parents of a good place to take Junior swimming. Everyone that chimed in recommended I take him to the boat launch at Ditto Landing. Turns out, that's where they launch boats into the river. "Oh just get him a life jacket and let him go. He's a lab, He'll love it." Considering I swim like a rock, it would be bad news if he drifted out too far. I would have to give the "Junior, We Hardly Knew Ye" speech. So I am on the lookout for a pool or lake to take Junior to. preferably a pool. I am not big on marine life.

Butts Up and Goodnight!

Junior Doesn't Like That

I realized today that Junior does not like to be brushed. No not like "Oh my dog doesn't like it either" or "No dogs really like it. They just tolerate it." This fool was flopping around like a fish out of water. I had never seen anything like it. It surprised me because Jun is so mild mannered and Ma brought his come and left it here with him. I was under the impression that he was used to being combed. Apparently he is used to being combed, but only by Miss DaleShay Brown.

Here's Mine and Maurice's attempt

When Junior first freaked out, he flailed his body onto my foot.

Kinda like that. I couldn't feel my toes for nearly 45 seconds. I knew they weren't broken because he only weighs 36 lbs, but I flipped out nonetheless.

And to send you off with a laugh, Enjoy this video

Lazy Day

We didn't really do anything yesterday, but I did neglect to mention that Junior turned 4 mos on Monday. I felt bad at first and then I remembered HE'S A DOG. Its strange enough that I write about him in a blog anyway. Its not like he knows I forgot or that he will every read this(if he does, I'm gonna have Arab money and I'll do the Arab money dance).

Random Thought: I really like the dress I wore to Kim & Alex's wedding reception. My mom bought it a the Goodwill in St. Louis and brought it to me when she came for Brandy & Jason's wedding. I felt inspired to wear more dresses like that. The problem lies in that the dress, as it turn out, is very expensive. $60 dress! I had never heard of Madison Leigh as a brand, although I am sure there are 79.5 girls running around Huntsville with that name as we speak.

I want a giant hand chair to put in the living room.

Well I'm off to eat some Beef. It's whats for lunch.

Shout out to Ryan and Nicole Smith. Congrats on the birth of their baby girl, Addison Elizabeth. Best of luck

A Rainy Labor Day

Being that it was Labor Day, I didn't do any real training with Junior. We worked

on Hugs and Sit and he sat and watched the rain a bit. It got a little cold, but we didn't let that get us down.

I bought some beef ribs yesterday. They were really cheap. I rigged up a smoker on my super cheap grill and slapped them on there. They turned out great!. The smell of the grill and the sound of the rain on the carport totally put me in a super relaxed state of being today. If I can find ribs that cheap more often, I will try to work them into the regular grocery rotation. Everybody got to enjoy the ribs; Maurice and I got the meat and Bear-Handbanana and Junior got the bones.

He bleached his bones. Junior went to work on them. In his defense, they were delicious.

Saturday Play Date

As with most Saturday's we went to Maurice's Mom's House. We were late and subsequently didn't make it to Kim and Alex's wedding. Junior didn't play with Precious as much as I thought he would. He did get to run around some and see new people. None of the dogs were particularly photogenic, So here are some candid shots of them.

We did however make it to Kim and Alex's awesome reception. That DJ was wicked good... and he had a little help

Sorry its sideways. I have to Get a digital camera. I can never remember which way to turn my phone.

If I Bring It Back, You're Gonna Throw It Again

Maurice, Junior and I worked on name recognition and a bit of fetch this morning. Junior did great, so this afternoon, I decided to take the party outside. Junior just wants to play with the ball as long as it is moving. Once it stops rolling, he could care less. Bear-Handbanana is afraid of balls and I would really like to have a dog to play fetch with. Junior is my last hope, but he is not making it easy.

No Luck. Once the ball stopped rolling he was done with it.

I really thought he was going to bring it back that time. I was kinda sad that he didnt.

I didnt even throw it that time. I just dropped it from shoulder height. I will admit, I got a little upset that he turned around to try to get it like he was really going to go over there.

HOORAY!!!!! I was super excited! This is what he did this morning. He was great this morning.

And once more for good measure.......... and no. He played me. I'm just gonna say it: I got played by a 3 month old puppy. He really had me thinking he was gonna bring it straight to me.

I like to nap with my tail in the laundry room. What of it?!

Ps Sorry the camera was sideways . I didnt even realize. I recorded it on my phone. Just tilt your head. You'll be fine. Now I must be off to make sure I have everything together for Kim & Alex' wedding. and eat some red meat.

I Went To The Doctor Today :/

Junior had to get a second round of boosters today. He was none too excited about it. He had to have another fecal exam just to make sure all the worms were gone. He is a healthy hungry little puppy.

In the blue corner we have Junior, weighing in at 36 lbs and will be 4 months old next week.

I have to watch his diet. Labs can have a tendency to over eat. Its only been 3 weeks since he was last at the vet. She sa

id his weight is okay for now, but it is important to make sure he doesn't get in the habit of overeating.

Chunky little Puppy.

Shot #1

Shot #2

So this Fecal exam was a bust and they had to take him to the back. The doctor said that sometimes if the family isn't around, the dog will be just scared enough to relax. To but a stick in his butt? Really? There is a 3 drink minimum to stick anything in my butt. Sometimes I feel bad for animals.

After Junior went to the back, Bear-Handbanana went to look for him. Either that or he thought that's where they kept the biscuit factory. Either way

Junior Really had a little extra bass in his voice today. He was truly frightened. He really needs to socialize to get past this fear. Because he was a little aggressive towards the Dr. Maddox today, we went ahead and sch

eduled his snip snip. Its September 22nd. Feel free to send him and Edible Arrangement (not the chocolate dipped kind). By the

way... She never did get that Temperature reading.

We swung past the dog park, but no one was there so they didnt get to play. They were hot, tired and thirsty when we got home.

All By Myself

Maurice and I drove to Birmingham to take my dad to the airport. Junior spent most of his sleeping hours in the crate. I dont think he really noticed the difference.

We go to the vet tomorrow at 2 for another round of shots and set up a time for the snippage. Sleeping on the living room floor, sleeping on the crate tray... sleep is sleep to this little guy. He sleeps like a ROCK!! I have to make sure i get him to go to bed before he decided to sleep on the floor. Oftentimes I find myself dragging him to the crate because he wont wake up!! Then I look like a crazy person, yelling, screaming and shaking him so he will walk inside. This is one funny little half breed.

Look what Junior did this morning in the flower bed. At first I was upset, but then I realized perennials are going on clearance soon. That will be one less hole I will have to dig. Thanks crazy Puppy.

On an unrelated note: Shout out to Jan Hayes being a new mommy. Riley Grey was born this morning. Had a C-Section at 8:43 this morning. Happy Birthday little Janlet.

So I have decided to start posting pictures of Junior every day. I wanted to make a time lapse video of his first year. Getting a dog to sit in the same place and look in one direction is a task best left to a professional and since professionals cost money, this is what I'll do. Enjoy!!

MEET SUE v2.0!

This is Susan Orenthal Long, Jr. We call him Junior. Old man Sue was NOT shooting dust as my mother had hoped. He knocked up my sisters pit bull, Ruby, and she popped out 8 puppies. Junior actually has the white spot on his chest, just like his dad. Ma brought him down the weekend of the 13 when she came to Brandy's wedding.

He is three months old and 28lbs, at his last check up. He goes back for another round of shots this Thursday. I'll give an update.

Strong as an ox this one! He learned a lot from his parents. Sue helped him develop a healthy fear of strangers and bestowed upon him the inane ability to always be in the way and refuse to move. Ruby... taught him to knock over the trash can. I am not at all happy about this.

RUMBLE IN THE KITCHEN

Around Brunchtime, Junior decided he wanted a midday snack from the kitchen trash. The can crashing to the floor startled him and my yelling didn't help his frightened little soul. It was my plan to forcably return him to the scene of the crime for a bit of discipline. This animal thrashed and wiggled and threw his body against me soooo hard, I felt like I was deep sea fishing! Like I had a Marlin on the line! At one point, I was holding his front paws and having him walk with his back legs. This lasted until he realized our destination. The thrashing started again for the last six feet. At the can, we handled our business and went our separate ways. I was so exhausted after this ordeal, I really needed a nap. I have never raised a large breed animal, an definitely not an animal with his stregnth. This will be quite the interesting adventure.

Lets get real for a minute

I was thinking. I try not to, but it happens. I always hope for the best, yet prepare for the worst. A rock solid mantra in theory, but not always practical.

Whenever I get sick, I think I'm gonna die. For some reason, I think every cough is bringing me one step closer to the grave. Its a feeling I just can't shake. I don't have a death wish. I enjoy my life and I am in no immediate rush to end it all.

It makes me wonder if I use my diet to bring my demise, sub Consciousness ly (not exactly sure how that word goes together. I'm tired of fighting with the spell check).

This really worries me. Am I trying to kill myself? Do I want to die? Why do I always think I'm dying?

Congrats cake

Well alright!! I got my certificate for making the Dean's List last quarter. Now I just need to get 7 more. I really want to graduate at the top of my class. It is a lot of hard work, but its just something I really need.

I was inspired to write today by a recipe from Paula Deen, a 1-2-3-4 cake. I was always told to use a 2:1 on the flour/sugar mix in a cake but this basic cake recipe can't be beat! 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs! Its that simple. Add whatever you like and a flavor extract( vanilla, maple, almond, coconut... whatev) and you are good to go. I'm ready to make all kinds of cakes. I think, however, I'm going to start with a homemade pizza dough for dinner tonight.

I See The Light!

Just saying that aloud brings back memories of my days at AAMU! Good times, good times.

*This blog is completely unrelated to the opening statement.*

I have been taking a class in C Programming. Everyone that I have ever known to take programming has taken C++ or C#. Honestly, I'd never heard of C programming code. I assumed there was one simply because I figured you would need a C in order to get C+ or C++, But from what I have learned so far, you prolly don't. Anyways, I cant get a program to work. Nothing I ever write comes out correct. on the very first day, I simply had to copy the written program out of the book and it didn't work. I have spent the past 3 weeks feeling soooooo defeated, but last night my teacher returned some graded work. I got a 100% on the lab and a 96% on the homework. I think I may have a shot!

Touched by GOD... no forreal

I spoke yesterday that I felt like I was touched by God. I think I understand why.... I WAS!

There is a strong possibility I should have died last night. I had a toothache. I took 800mg of ibuprofen and after 20 minutes it did ABSOLUTELY nothing. Still feeling like the pain may force me to pass out, I took 150mg of fast acting acetaminophen, to no avail. To mention it, I need to have a word with the fine people at Excedrin. Any ways, since it had been nearly an hour and I was still in pain, I popped a hydrocodone. In hindsight, I think I should have only taken half of it, but what's done is done. When that combo finally kicked in, the pain washed away and left me nearly dazed.

I haven't slept that well in weeks!

Destined to be Different

This came to me moments ago. Perhaps my mind's way of justifying holding off on my C programming homework, but I was struck, hard by this and I really needed to write. I was designed to be different. I realize our parents and teachers tell us that we are "special" and our differences make us "unique", but tonight I felt a surge within me, like something not of myself.

I have always stood out from my peers, never feeling as though I fit in with my friends or family. From my initials to my upbringing, I've simply been on permanent sore thumb status. It didn't trouble me until my early twenties. I guess I hit some identity crisis or the nearly dying from the allergic reaction, which ever. As I near 30, I've been trying to regain the carefree spirit I embodied as a youth. I didn't care what anyone thought of me and I did what felt right to me, not what society expected of me. I do understand it is difficult to live with childlike enthusiasm with very adult worries and responsibilities, but I had adult worries when I was 10 yrs old. Coping with the difficulties, challenging but not more than I can handle.

What got me writing tonight was this indescribable feeling that washed over me tonight. I was thinking about how important my middle initial is to me and how I really didn't have a reason why. I've heard the "God has a plan for you" speech before, but for some reason tonight... tonight I felt something resonate through me. I need to prepare myself to be used by the Lord. Granted I have zero idea how to prepare seeing as how I don't know what he is going to use me for exactly, but I am going to keep on this path. I will continue to make plans with my education and career until I feel as though He is telling me otherwise.

I finally feel like I am going to right way. Finally on the right path. I feel good. Now I just need to get some health insurance so I can afford to get the medicine that keeps me from be soooo forgetful. Maybe school will be a little easier.