All things good - Silver Linings

Feb 14, 2008 10:01

I haven't posted since Christmas and a lot has happened.

Artaius type things
While Artaius is a border collie in his obsessive compulsive nature (chasing lights and shadows) he is also a border collie in the smarts department.

We compete in agility in American Kennel Club (AKC) and Canine Performance Events (CPE) trials. If you’ve seen an agility show, it was probably AKC - that’s what most people are familiar with. Here is some background information (that most people won’t care about) on .

AKC is broken down into 3 main levels: Novice, Open and Excellent and each of these has an A and B sublevel.
AKC has 3 types of courses

Standard - this has all of the fun equipment that the dog has to walk across (dog walk, teeter) or climb over (A-Frame).

Jumpers - this course doesn’t have any of the climbing equipment, just jumps and tunnels.

FAST - this course requires that you work the dog from a distance - not crossing a line that they put down on the floor

CPE is broken down into 6 levels: Levels 1-5 and C (champion level)
CPE has 7 types of course.
The 3 listed above - (FAST is called Jackpot in CPE) plus 4 more
Snooker - This game has 2 parts - the first part the dog has to complete a red colored jump and then any other obstacle, then a 2nd (different) red colored jump and then any other obstacle, and then a 3rd (different) red colored jump and then any other obstacle, and then they have to run the course in order marked by numbered cones.

Wildcard - The course has 3 different locations where you have to pick an obstacle based on point values. The lower classes have to chose two (1) point obstacles and one (2) point obstacle. The higher levels do the opposite.

Colors - There are two overlapping courses and you have to select the one you want to do.

Fullhouse - The dog has to obtain a certain amount of points depending on the level they’re in while also making sure that the dog completes at least 3 bar jumps, 2 tunnels and a joker obstacle (such as the A-frame, dog walk or teeter).

December 30, 31 and January 1: Canine Performance Events (CPE) trial
This was our second CPE trial and only our 3rd trial ever - he managed to get qualifying scores in 13 out of 15 of his runs and all were either 1st or 2nd places. Due to a most excellent weekend, we earned enough qualifying scores to be elligible for CPE Nationals in May. (We missed qualifying in Snooker on Saturday and Jackpot on Sunday)

Jan 5-6: CPE trial
We qualified in 8 out of 9 of our runs - it would have been 10 runs but we skipped out of the last run on Saturday. (We missed qualifying in one of our Standard runs on Saturday)

Jan 19-20: CPE trial
We qualified in 9 out of 10 of our runs. (We missed qualifying in our Standard run on Sunday)

February 2-3: CPE Trial
We qualified in 9 out of 10 of our runs. (We missed qualifying in our Jackpot run on Sunday because he fell off the teeter)

February 9: Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog International testing
Artaius and I went to the Capital Area Humane Society and got tested to see if he would make a good therapy dog. They test the dog to make sure they won’t freak out about medical equipment, loud noises, other dogs, kids, food on the floor and that they’re trained to sit, down, stay and come on command. The evaluator said that he was bomb-proof and that he passed with flying colors. Once I submit his vet paperwork and a photo (he’ll have his own photo ID) we can start visiting hospitals, hospices, reading programs and the like.

Upcoming: AKC trial on Feb 23-24, Several CPE trials including Nationals at the end of May.

Car type things
I have had several silly things happen this winter with the snow and my car.
1) I slid off the road but due to having no acceleration, didn’t even make it over the grass/snow at the edge of the road

2) I got stuck in a snow bank 30 feet from my house and my neighbor was kind enough to spend 20 minutes pushing me out - I was only barely late to work!

3) I fell off the edge of our parking lot and it apparently has a little lip to it. It was on one of those melty-crunchy-cheesey days…. Wait, that’s taco bell… it was on a melty-snowy day and I couldn’t convince my car to get back on the asphalt so had a co-worker push the car up (I did buy him a beer).

4) I blew a tire on a pot hole just a couple of minutes from work on Tuesday and managed to make it to the Speedway station. The wrecker was going to be 90 minutes so a co-worker (actually the same one from #3) came and picked me up. The wrecker only took ½ hour so I was to Walmart in time to get new tires!

All silly little minor things that I’m really grateful that they weren’t worse!!

Other type things
Work is going well. My co-workers are generally pretty great and so are my bosses.

We have a survivors program this weekend for the loss of a military member so Mom and Cari are coming and we’re staying at a hotel and I’m excited about it!

I have followed through with my New Year’s resolution of seeing a lot less of Pete. I’ve only seen him 3 times since New Year’s and didn’t even spend New Year’s Eve with him.

Ok, that’s a lot of catching up!

pete, puppy, work, alex, weekend, family, happy

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