Every morning Jackson and I run to the bathroom like our lives depend on it. I have to carry Jackson down from the loft - and then he goes outside to empty his bladder and I try not to watch and not so patiently wait my turn. This morning I thought it was like every other day. I grabbed Jackson out of his crate - and set him on my bed until I had sure footing to climb out of the loft. Jackson seemed to stretch a bit - and looked at me with this sort of far away look in his eye. I lifted him up and a stream of warm pee soaked my tank top and arm. Jackson just could not wait. So there I was - in the early freezing morning (it had to be about 50 degrees!) smelling of pee. I had to add cleaning the carpet, doing my laundry and giving Jackson a bath to my now hectic day.

Jackson also had many presents to wrap for his classmates. He figured he’d give them all a little Christmas present. And then Jackson while tugging on a pair of my socks started this sort of gagging and pawing at his face. I thought he was chocking and called my Dad over to help me pry open Jackson’s mouth. He was bleeding from the side of his mouth and making these noises that really freaked me out. A few minutes later one of Jackson’s teeth was in my hand. My baby’s first tooth. (aaaaaaah)

To say that my day has been extremely eventful would be an understatement.

I really need to run to classes now. I want to take Jack on a bit of a walk so that he’s a little more calm for Puppy School. I don’t know if it will work or not but in theory it seems to make sense.

I will try to write more this evening… and I will also be logging in later tonight - probably around 10PM or so PST. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to speak then!

Sometimes I look at Jackson and I turn green with envy. He has a great life. He gets to take me for a walk (still working on the pack leader philosophy but as of yet it’s not working!) daily, gets foot placed at his feet whenever he so much as whimpers, gets only the best treats that money can buy, has more toys than any other doggy I know (including Paris’ dog Tink), gets to lay around and sleep all day on nice pillows, blankies and beds and last but not least he gets to lay my arms and snuggle up against my boobies when he’s getting up from a nap and isn’t quite ready to terrorize the household. That dog has it made. No one has mentioned college to him, no one expects him to go off and get a job, he doesn’t have to pick up after himself and he can hump his various girlfriends in public whenever he feels the urge. My Jackson is living the dog’s life to beat all dog’s lives.

But today I came really close to topping his best day. With Jackson tucked under my arm I answered the door. Mr. UPS man was holding a nice plump and juicy box for me from LUSH cosmetics. I really favored PHILOSOPHY products for awhile - and before that Melis products (but they have discontinued alot of their scents - including Orange Cream Cake - YUMMMY!) so I was a bit hesitant to try out the Lush Products. But man am I glad I did! Their creams are to die for - so thick and yummy. I also got a lip balm from them that smells good enough to eat. (I did taste it and it has no taste - darn.) The best part of the package though had to be this stuff called Candy Fluff. Oh My Goodness! It’s dusting powder (talc powder) that comes in this little pink canister thingee - that smells like … candy. It smells absolutely sweet enough to drink/eat. I’m planning on washing my sheets in a minute - drying them - and then dusting them with a layer of this stuff tonight before I go to bed. It is that delicious. It momentarily jostled me out of my Gilmore Girls Heaven - and that’s saying a lot because I basically sleep with that series on now. I should have really waited until after my math final. *sigh*

So thanks again Scott for the Gilmore girls - and my Mister Pimp Lush Man who will be happy to know I added a few more things from LUSH onto my girlie wish list.

I better go for now. The TV is off - my bed is stripped and the laundry room awaits me. Jackson probably needs a treat, too, come to think of it. It’s been about 2 hours since he last had one and he tends to get a bit violent when I wait too long.

My cold is a bit better (thank you GOD for sudafed and vitamin C) and my teeth - well - I think they are straighter today - LOL. I probably should put my rubber bands back on though for the full pain dosage my Doc requires.

I’ll be logging on this evening around 9:00PM and will stay logged on till about 12:00 Midnight - maybe 1:00AM if my nasal passages are clear and open. LOL! Sorry - but breathing thru my nose is important during certain calls. I know you understand - or you’re having a fun time trying to figure it all out… *wink*

Talk soon…

So now that the smoke has settled - things are getting back to normal around here. Halloween went on with out a hitch (I didn’t dress up - and Jackson outgrew his Harley Davidson outfit much to my horror - so he didn’t dress up either) - Midterms happened and I survived (Say hello to my little friend A.) and I’ve been feeling pretty darned good. I got flowers the other day from a secret admirer…really pretty ones - roses, carnations, babysbreath…so pretty!!!, a new printer/photocopier/scanner from a friendly nazi, and a play pen from Dr. Feel Better himself. On top of the amazon gifts I’ve also received some great cash prizes from some adoring fans (thanks mr. cum69, chair, gun, matty, fit, and sexaddict ), and then some of the sweetest compliments/feedback comments ever! You all sure know how to cheer up a little girl, don’t you! Thank you so very very much from the bottom of my heart! MWAH!!!!!

So why the title? Well - a funny thing happens in Southern California after a fire. Animals start appearing that use to stay far away in hills and on mountain sides. Animals like - cougars. yeah. I’m not lying.

About a week ago a cougar hopped over a 6 foot fence in an adjoining neighborhood - mauled a little puppy - and ran off with a 50 lb (or was it 60?) dog in it’s mouth. The owners were eating breakfast and didn’t hear the doggies in the yard and went to investigate and found one puppy badly injured, and the other doggy was missing. They ran up the hill behind their house I guess and found a little bit of fur lying in a pool of blood. After the Vet had examined the other puppy that had managed to escape the cougar - they realized that the injuries were cougar related. There is a law in California that you can not hunt cougars (looks out the window nervously.) So anyways - Jackson is not allowed out in the yard with out supervision. Supposedly cougars are okay until they are surprised (or hungry) but um - yeah. Jackson would be like some finger food before the bigger meal (me?) so I’m a bit nervous at the present moment. Gotta love LA. Writers strike, Santa Ana winds, Fires, Arnold S. for governor, and now Lions running amuck.

Tonight we fall back - so I’m going to be on for a bit tonight. I’ll at least be on alerts for awhile - because, well, I can be. And I wasn’t on very long yesterday (just long enough to speak to my sweetie “chair” - HI Sweetie !! - Thanks for the call) due to Puppy School Fridays.

And since you asked - Puppy school is going alright. I do wish, however, that children were not allowed unless they could behave. There were five more children there this past Friday. They seem to be multiplying. Also - Jack was one of 2 of his breeds last week. This week - there were 2 other doggies - and the rest were all Maltese. I don’t know how that happened, either. Jackson was tortured by 3 boys. The two girls were on the other side of the training area. Jack would have been better off next to the girls. The little boy (the California Strangler) was better behaved, too. But the 3 boys, Satan, Damien, and Lucifer, were horrible: dropping treats everywhere, bouncing balls in front of Jack, and grabbing his tail attempting to distract him from his lesson.

We learned how to walk on the leash, how to sit (Jack learned that weeks ago), and received tips on how to stop biting. I walked by the snack aisles, walked past the really cute t-shirts (Nearly Famous - how cute is that!?!), and even managed to walk by the really cute blankets and cute beds. TAH DAH.

I better go … I’ll talk with you later on this evening. Tomorrow I will be on in the evening, too - but have a date with the Tiffers. What time was that date again, Tiffy? midnight? Last call of the evening? Make an appointment before then because after Tiffy I’ll be hitting the hay. School on Monday, remember.

Talk soon…

Jackson had his very first day of puppy school on Friday. Like most mommies, I was a nervous wreck. I thought about giving him a bath - but opted against it. I kept telling him that we were going to be going to school and he would just look up at me with this confused expression on his face. It was obvious to me that I was much more excited than he was.

We left for school and immediately my worst fears were confirmed: Jackson was not the cutest dog in the pack. We sat right next to what had to be the cutest little thing imagineable. Mimi - a 2 lb 4 month old french poodle. She was this light champagne color and she sat on her owner’s lap like she KNEW she was the cutest little thing. Her owner also had along her two children. The youngest, a little boy, hugged Mimi around the neck so hard that I was scared little Mimi’s eyes would pop out of her tiny head. He was adorable - but I made a mental note to watch him closely. Black Jack, a 70 lb puppy arrived next. His owner looked to be all about business and Black Jack sat next to her obediently. I eyed him suspiciously; He seemed to know plenty of commands and I thought he was probably in the wrong class. This was a beginning class - this pup seemed to be well into advanced training.
And then another maltese arrived. I never did get her name but man was she adorable. She was about the size of Mimi and didn’t even seem to know how to bark, whine or disobey. She, too, sat on her Mommy’s lap and peered anxiously at her competition. And then Trooper arrived. Trooper, a 30 lb golden lab mix had groupies. His entire family came along with him - His owners (Mom and Dad) and their 3 children ages 11, 6, and 4. The two youngest girls were adorable - and would soon become Jackson’s biggest fans.

The trainer seemed to be an admirer of Cesar Milan - and talked to the owners about being a pack leader. Jack watched her, and by the expression on his face I could tell that he was not buying a single word she was saying. When the trainer insisted on having us put our dogs down on the floor so they could be “dogs” and face the world head on - Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Then the lessons began. Seems that we’ll be teaching them by using this clicker thing. Jack didn’t really seem to respond. He seemed to really enjoy Trooper - licking him on the nose and backing away shyly when Trooper would lick him back. Mimi also seemed to hold his attention, though she lived up to her “breed” by talking constantly until she was picked up. Jack was not impressed with her attention seeking devices.

The little boy was the first to discover Jackson. He sat right on the floor and during the exercises insisted on placing Jack in his lap and petting/strangling him. I tried to be nice about it - but it seemed that the little boy needed a bit of obedience training of his own. Then the little girls found Jack - and Jack, being a boy and a charmer, lapped up all the attention. Trooper didn’t seem to mind one bit - and neither did his Parents/owners. They seemed relieved to have their children entertained by Jackson - but as the lessons grew on and 3 children were wildly calling “Jackson!!” I grew just a tiny bit impatient. Jackson was suppose to be learning how to “watch” me - and would hear his name from every side of him imagineable and just tune out. The treat lures were not half as enticing as running back and forth between children and sitting on their laps and being pet by them and nibbling at their dirty little fingers. The trainer wasn’t very helpful either. I looked around at all the other puppies and in my imagination they all seemed to be doing miraculous tricks. I was certain that Jack, who had already learned at home to sit on command, fetch, and ALMOST lay down on command - would be the star pupil and he was turning out to be the “worst” of all the puppies. He was popular, though. Everyone LOVED Jackson.

After class I approached the teacher. I told her that I would need assistance with the children in class. Although Jack loved the attention from the little ones, I told her we needed some time to learn as much as the other doggies. She didn’t seem worried - but I was ready to go to the dean. She told me to practice the exercises at home and that next week the excitement would have died down and Jackson would be just another puppy to the young’uns. Yeah. Okay. Riiiight.

There was only one thing to do. Jackson and I went shopping. He needed some soft treats for training. The trainer said so. He also needed a little chew toy. And I needed some shopping therapy. The kids also went shopping with trooper. They practically fell down on the floor and pulled Jackson to them at every turn. Trooper’s owners apologized and told me that their little girls had fallen in love with Jackson. I told their parents that I should be a guy - because Jackson was a chick magnet if ever I saw one. The owner of the little girl Maltese also approached me and Jackson. Her baby with the little rhinestone pink colar and leash made me want a little girl - I swear. We talked a little Maltese before she and her well behaved and quiet little girl left the store.

Puppy school will indeed be a challenge. Jackson seems happy enough to be there - and he slept like a rock when we got home. We practiced a little bit today - and he doesn’t seem to get the whole “clicker” thing. He’s definitely his own little man - he believes he’s the alpha - and he’s determined to do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. What is sad is that I’m somewhat okay with letting him do what he wants to do too. I keep thinking that he’s just a puppy and there are so many things for him to discover.

Along with Puppy school Jackson has also finished his shots! On Tuesday we will begin walking every morning and evening. This should wear off some of his energy as well, hopefully, and maybe then he’ll able to concentrate on his training exercises. We will see.

*glances at the length of this post* I’m done with Jackson now.

I have been working really hard on a few projects - I’m not ready to disclose them yet - because you know how I am with following through with stuff.

I have finals this week, too - and Halloween is just around the corner. I do want to mention that I will be working on Halloween … probably late. I probably will be on tomorrow, too - although I have some homework to attend to.

Oh - and thanks for the calls this weekend, boys! I had a great time. I had a great bday date with the one and only Tiffy, and also had a great time with Chris, and Mark, and Matt, and Brian, U.R. and quite a few others. I know you all are looking foward to the costumes this year. *wink* Don’t eat too many treats - and make sure you call if you need some relief. I got a few tricks up my sleeves - and I don’t even need training to perform them. Well - not much training, anyways.

I am having a hard time believing that there can be so many comments surrounding/alluding to/regarding Jackson. If I didn’t adore him so much, I might actually be a bit jealous.

I have to admit that when I thought of getting a puppy I thought of only the really positive things. I would sit and day dream about a little white puff of fur sitting next to me while I drove around - pressing his cute little puppy dog face to the window and charming passerbys. I also thought about carrying him around (yes - I admit it - I did) in a little carry bag - where he would peek his little puppy nose out of from time to time and then cuddle back in the bag (designer of course) where he would remain - quiet - until I decided to take him out. The best dreams I had about Jackson were the ones in my bed - where he would cuddle next to me and sleep under the covers and his soft puppy fur would warm my body (or at least 5 inches of a thigh…) and we would wake up in the morning and eat breakfast together over the morning paper. Ok - that last part was exaggerated. I really did believe the other parts though.

Jackson is nothing like this.

Granted he is still a baby. And his brain is probably the size of a pea (says the good “doc”) - but man… I had NO idea parenthood would be so challenging. I really did not. So when Jackson decided at 15 weeks to refuse sleep until he had his daily and nightly romps around the house - living room - etc. I felt unprepared. I placed him in his crate at the foot of my bed like I always do - and he started the most horrible whining I have ever heard. At first I ignored it. He had already peed, he had had his treats, his dinner, his wine, etc. There was no reason for the crying and carrying around that he was doing. But he was persistant - and finally I had to let him out - which I guess only further trained him into believing that if he wailed enough Momma would let him out and he could have the run of the house.

I don’t think it was his dramatic thrashing and crying in his crate that made me do it. The spoiling came much earlier. There were the clothes - and the food (I bought at least 3 different kinds of kibble before deciding on the one I would use!) and then there were the snacks. Jackson has taken over the coffee table. The coffee table has these 6 compartments that hold 12 baskets (6 on each side of the table… get it?) and Jackson has taken over 1/2 of the table (the 1/2 that faces the couch.) It’s out of control. His clothes fill one basket. His shampoo and conditioner (because I didn’t know what kind to buy - I basically bought every kind the store carried) are in another. Then his grooming supplies (nail clippers, detangler spray, and about 3 different brushes/slickers/combs) are in another basket. He has plastic toys (another basket) and then there are his snacks (still another basket), his leashes fill another (blue and red collars complete with leads) and the final basket is just filled with extra stuff that doesn’t go anywhere else. I think his dog charms for his collar are in that basket along with a few other trinkets. It doesn’t sound too bad, does it?

that’s because I haven’t gotten to the other containers in the house that house Jackson shit. Like the basket in the corner of the living room that has every toy imaginable. You thought the toys were in the basket in the coffee table? Oh no. Those toys are PLASTIC squeak toys - the toys in the basket in the corner of the living room are his rope toys, his plush toys (like his gf Mrs. Zebra) and the balls he plays with. Yeah - I needed a separate basket for those. Even though Jackson sleeps in a crate at the foot of my bed - he also has a crate that he eats and travels in. Well, he’s suppose to travel in it while in my car, that was until I bought a car seat specially for him - which he also (surprise surprise) hates. Then there is the soft carry crate that he hates - but unfortunately he didn’t tell me that before I bought that one. Then there is the carry bag that now serves as his “diaper” bag - you know - the bag I put all his little things in when we go traveling and that I carry with me in the car in case we are stuck in it for a week or something and can’t get to civilization. There is a tiny water bottle in that diaper bag, along with 7 days worth of food, toys, a bone or two, a pee pad, and a few other items. Oh - and Jackson also has 2 beds. One in his little kitchen pen (consisting of two babygates that I also purchased) - and then another bed in the living room - JUST IN CASE he gets tired and wants to rest there. As If.

I am mentioning this knowing that I have a problem. I know that I have to admit to the problem (and that I am powerless over spoiling a 3 lb dog) before true healing can take place. I am now going cold turkey. Jackson has every treat he needs and I don’t need to get him any more. But you can, if you wish. He also has every toy he could possibly need to chew, hump, and attempt to eat - but if you wish you can buy him more. He also has enough beds, crates, and blankets - but again… I will not be purchasing one more book, one more toy, one more treat, one more anything for that doggy for the next month. Enough is enough (is enough.) I can’t go on like this much longer. I will be in debt because of him - and there are other things I could be spending my money on. But again…if YOU want to spoil him … go right ahead. He won’t stop you - he sure as hell didn’t stop me.