Hit the nail on the...TARGET--and PenPen is shocking!

Oy. I should seriously buy stock in Target. I was trying to avoid going there again today after two trips yesterday, but alas, I couldn't. I needed a hammer. And you can't just buy a hammer at a hardware store when they have them in the dollar bin at Tar-jay!

Why do I need a hammer, you ask? Well, I was putting together lovely BILLY bookcases. I decided to save money and do it myself (thanks, mom and dad!). I needed to hammer the cheap little particleboard backing to the back wall, and they supply these little finishing nails. I tried to do it with my adjustable wrench (Target, $2.50), but I wound up hitting my fingers too many times. I managed to get two of the four bookcases together and upright, but they are listing due to the unevenness of the floors. Who is going to anchor them for me when there is no Taylor here in CA?

I had a visitor today: the dog trainer. He came with a briefcase full of collars (like Kramer's "crackers!"). It took no time for me to show him my huge knee bruise and demonstrate PenPen's agression towards the Little Man. He put a pulsating/minishock collar on her, and in about 2 minutes, she was sitting calmly, allowing Ollie to fetch by himself. Ollie was not used to this calm behavior on Penny's part, and started barking at her. So I bought two shock collars with a toggle-switch remote control. This way, I can deliver my punishment to both of them, one at a time! With the collar on, she practiced leash-walking past the trainer's husky. It was amazing! The service that we are getting is three 90 minute sessions at our house and unlimited group sessions in the Park. We start tomorrow.

Of course, the trainer said that Penny's bad behavior was due to "lack of leadership" on my part. Tsk, tsk.

Here is a pic of said dog bite:

At the Races...and Got Keys?

Well, after two days of an eerily well-planned orientation, and approaching random people to recruit for next year's fifth-grade class, I earned my KIPP uniform shirt. I am very excited to be starting work. Everyone is very helpful and understanding of the fact that I am new. They have been so kind...

We got the keys to our place yesterday! We'll be renting until the transaction goes through-at the rate of $33 per day. This sure beats the cost of a hotel. After a harrowing experience with a dilapidated rental car with 120,000 miles on it (a stick, and did I mention that San Diego is surprisingly HILLY?), we finally met our realtor at the new place. Although it's only 900 sf with the garage (the NEW "green room"), it has seven closets. We went to Target to get the necessary supplies (Chris was surprisingly patient). We found two really cool 1950s chrome and black swivel chairs to put in the windows. Actually, we called about 5 Targets to locate two chairs, and drove the "highways of death" to get them. I am quite proud of myself for my bravery!

Anyway, we picked up the pups from storage, I mean, the kennel. Apparently, Penny was "bullying" Ollie, and the two needed to be placed in separate cages. Then, she got what was coming to her in the form of a bite on the paw from a passing Jack Russell. Now, she's wearing a lucite coffee filter on her head, and when she walks, she bumps into walls and her head lolls from side to side as she negotiates the weight of the thing. She'll have it on for another 9 days while she's on antibiotics. Good thing there was a vet on the premises. No charge, of course. You should see her scoop up bones and drink water. It's like watching that chick with the back brace drink from the water fountain in...was that Sixteen Candles? Pretty in Pink?

By the way, I am writing from an internet cafe overlooking the ocean. Just thought I'd throw that in there...

Air Pug

Well, we have discovered that dogs and air travel don't mix. What a fiasco. First of all, we had two huge hockey sized duffel bags, one wheely stewardessy bag, a backpack, my pocketbook, two dog carriers, and Ollie and PenPen on leashes. Then, after we dealt with the paperwork of designating the dogs as "comfort animals" (what a scam!) we then went to the gate.

Of course, the dogs were attracting lots of attention, and we wanted to be as discreet as possible. Ollie was getting antsy so I fugured that he must need to go to the bathroom. So I took a Weewee pad and brought it to a secluded spot inside the terminal. As soon as I put it down he went on it. Good dog.

Then, I took him on a fast trot around the food court and then I looked down. OH MY GOD! He was pooing and walking! I mean, a playdoh fun factory of steaming poo! He didn't even stop to sniff, circle, or otherwise give me any kind of warning. Some JetBlue stewardesses happened to be around and were all "Eww. Aren't...you...going...to...clean THAT...up?" I was standing in disbelief, and I didn't want to leave said poo unattended and have some unlucky traveler step in it. Thankfully, a kind gentleman took pity on my situation and went to a nearby kiosk to get me some napkins.

These were the same stewardesses that were on my plane! Chris and I were seated in row 1 (I guess "crazy" people need to be separated). So they were making a big deal about the carriers being out during takeoff, so they told us that the dogs had to be out and on our LAPS during the entire flight! Oy. So we kept em nice and drugged, and things went ok. That is, until landiing, when they started to growl and lunge at each other...

Otherwise, things from there went smoothly. We boarded the dogs at a kennel that has a branch in CT, so we felt good about it. Chris sweet talked the car rental people and got us a PT Cruiser convertible for no extra charge, and we stocked our hotel room's kitchenette with provisions.