Manatee Mentors 2014 CLOSED Thread 2 (Page 27)

Originally posted by rrrunner Great job racers!Well all this talk of puppies and rescues... Our local no kill shelter and a couple of the city shelters had a huge adoption event this weekend....Meet Sydney She's a four month old Australian Shepherd mix. Our animals all have city names so since she's "Australian" we clawed her Sydney. She's a cutie and she's acclimating to the house and the other critters

She's adorable!!  So glad she's found a family where she fits in so well.  Have you had herding dogs before?  We have 2 border collies and while they can be a challenge sometimes ("PLAY WITH ME or I will pester you until you do!!" from one, "LOVE ME or I will pester you until you do!!" from the other), we love them to bits.  Do you know for sure she's an Aussie mix?  She actually looks like a short-haired BC, which are more common than you'd think.

Virtually always poison. 

Ahhhh I love this, Yanti!!! Seriously, having those definitions has had a big impact.

I am still trying to figure out the balance of having a measurable, attainable goal and expecting nothing... hard to wrap my head around.

With that being said, I am working on my goals for my next training block right now. I really am not sure what I want to do. Maybe do a whole bunch of low key races this summer from track and field to trail and then build for Nationals (10K) and a half marathon in the fall. I'm not sure though.

Great racing this weekend and welcome Sydney!! Yay!

My bike ride was really fun. Considering I've not been on my bike more than a couple miles here and there to a happy hour, my running fitness got me through 40 miles no problem. 

I got a flat about 20 miles in but some fantastic gentlemen helped me out. Even if I wanted to change my tire myself I don't think they would have let me. Super sweet guys.

It was pretty rainy. I even wore my board shorts (as you can see, I don't have fenders on my bike) LOL

I guess the men's beer mile record went under 5 recently. No word on the women getting to 6.

Miss Yanti- I hope the weekend gave you some form of reprieve. Ryder looks like a much happier kitty!

Kirsten- awesome job on that pig anesthetization...oh, and the Calc final was pretty good, too.  Plus honing your wrenching skills? Supa Star!

TJ- happy dayblated birthday! The Fourth is with you always. (ok, it would be fun to have a Star Wars day bday) Sydney looks like a great "present". lol

Jonathan- another day closer to all your hard work paying off. Woot

Kate- Cool... Bay to Breakers! If I still lived there, it would be on my race list. And great job attitude that I'm sure your zoo and animals very much appreciate.

Stacey- I don't know how you keep up with it all. They're cute and cuddly, but what lot of work!

Judi-Wheee!!!! Podium!

Salty- Ha! reminds me of riding through puddles when I was a kid. Doesn't work as well living in the desert.

I hope I'm mostly caught up on pod news. Happy Monday!

FUNNY you mention that!!! I had my first day of training on Saturday. Dunno if you can see this because it's posted on FB: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202443289818432&set=vb.1079633005&type=2&theater

We stopped right in the middle on a 10-miler and chugged a beer. It was a beer I was considering using but have now decided against.

Although we had the luxury of drinking out of a glass, it was ice cold, which made it very difficult. I'm not one to brag too much, but if you watch the video you will notice I handily beat both BOYS*

It still took me almost 30 seconds though. I guess you have to start somewhere. 

*One of them may or may not have been incapacitated by an ice cream headache 

Race Report

Nothing I was super proud of. Just felt good to get first one of the year under my belt. Onward and upward!...or at least not downward...unless it helps me pick up some speed.  

Happy Monday, Manatees!!  This made me smile and laugh today: http://www.sharedots.com/dogs-a-cat-dance-to-happy-by-pharrell-williams-255.html. 

Cute! My daughter HAS to watch the music video every night before bed (thank you, DH). She thought the dogs were "silly", and especially liked the surfer cat.

Ah crap TJ, I was waiting to actually wish you a happy birthday on the actual day and then I wasn't around. Now I guess you get a late happy birthday. So, happy birthday!!! Sorry bout that!

Oh jeez, TJ.  I completely forgot to wish you happy birthday yesterday too!!  Hope it was WONDERFUL!! 

You're right about rescues.  You never know about lineage (shelters always guess anyway, and usually guess breeds people associate with good things, like "lab mix" or "boxer mix").  Plus it usually takes a good 6 mos. or so for a rescue to settle into their full personality.  There are actually some border collies who aren't hyper or "herdy".  They really vary, as do Aussies.  Some are like kittens on speed, while others are lounge lizards who are content with having people time and a short walk every day.  If she's not hyper now as a puppy, there's a pretty good likelihood she won't be as she gets older.  Watch out for the adolescent rebellion stage though; lots of smart dogs go through it and turn from wonderful, obedient dogs into obnoxious teenagers who won't listen to a word you say.  (Thankfully, it does pass!!)  If you think there's a possibility she has some BC in her, there's a great resource website, allbordercollies.com.  There are a bunch of discussion forums and people are really friendly.  Plus there's a pictures forum that's really fun.  Puppy porn!!

Uh oh.  Hope she doesn't start asking for this one instead!

Baby steps, Salty, baby steps.  That's where it all starts.   I have confidence in you, especially after your impressive ride performance this weekend.  (Nice butt stripe from that BTW!)

I'm having comfort food after sending Max to the airport with the rescue lady. I'll admit I shed some tears and almost sent her a text to stop so I could get him back. Sigh. Not sure how good of a foster parent I am.

Originally posted by StaceyK

Originally posted by QueenZipp

Originally posted by 4agoodlife

I'm having comfort food after sending Max to the airport with the rescue lady. I'll admit I shed some tears and almost sent her a text to stop so I could get him back. Sigh. Not sure how good of a foster parent I am.

Most people I know who have fostered babies feel this way when they go to forever homes (tears)....some people who foster animals too.  You are a good foster mom 

you are a great foster mom, to prove it I have 9 mastiff puppies you can have for a couple of weeks if you want to come and get them

hehehe...thanks for the chuckle! Kinda mean though since I'd just cry 9x over. Or keep them. I've had a horse...wonder what nine ponies would be like.

If you weren't a good foster parent, you wouldn't care, so you wouldn't cry.  I asked our dog's foster mom how she dealt with getting attached and letting go.  She said she thinks of it as saving 2 dogs:  the one getting placed in its forever home and the one she can take in next.  Probably doesn't help in the short term (nothing wrong with a bit of comfort food every now and then!!), but maybe it'll help down the road.  You're doing good work, Erin.  Thanks (and Max and his new family should thank you too!!).  (((hugs)))

Woot!  Way to go Judi!

Ben, thanks for this.  I went for a loooong ride (for me anyway) on Saturday with my roadie, and Looks installed by my friend.  I figured out, during that ride, exactly what you described.  I think my issues had been with unclipping the lower foot and having the other foot at a high place clipped in, messing up my center of gravity!  I also realized that hitting the ground heel first with the unclipped foot is a key

2 seconds before it happened I said to K: "if the cat starts swimming, I am going to lose my ."  Aaaaaand, there it was!  Thanks for sharing!

TJ, happy belated birthday and welcome to super cute Sydney!

Try sharing your birthday with Jesus.