Daisy update/ TV Roundup/ etc
First order of business-- Daisy! Right now I am so stoked because we changed our method a little bit to the one outlined in the book My Dog Pulls. What Do I Do? by Turid Rugaas. I ordered the book on Thursday, it arrived on Friday (yay Amazon Prime), and we got to work immediately.
I just came back from a training session with her that went awesome!! We were able to go to some new places we've never been before, and she really listened (most of of the time) and walked with a loose leash (most of the time). So happy.
As time passes, Daisy has felt more comfortable with us and has shown us more of her personality. Our house has three floors (the third floor is a loft), with very steep, very Japanese staircases between floors. From Day One she steadfastly refused to climb the stairs, and no amount of encouragement or bribery with treats would get her up there. Maybe she had had some kind of bad experience with stairs in the past, or maybe she decided the stairs were just too steep for her. Fine, we thought.
When we work out, she gets excited and tries to join in, which is dangerous for all involved, before workouts we've been sticking her in the genkan (entrance hall). The routine lately has been I take her for a walk around 10 AM, and when we come back I just leave her in the genkan, and I go into the living room alone to get my sweat on. I put her blankie out there and also some water and toys and she would patiently wait for me to finish.
That good behavior lasted maybe a week and a half. After that, while I'd be working out, she'd either be crying at the living room door wanting to be let in, or barking at any person who dared pass our front door. :/
UNTIL a few days ago, when I finished my workout and opened up the door, and.... no Daisy! I freaked out. She had vanished into thin air.
No sign of her on the second floor, so I went up to the loft, and...
There she was!! She had carved out a sleeping space for herself amid all the junk up there. ;D
And just like that, it became the new routine. We cleared out a space for her and put a blankie up there, and now, after EVERY walk, she immediately goes right up to the loft and chills out for a while. She lived at the shelter for almost a full year, where she got no privacy and very little peace and quiet, I would imagine. Maybe after all the excitement of a walk, she just likes having a quiet place to decompress all to herself. Who knows. I'm certainly not complaining!!!
Long-Procrastinated TV Roundup!!
Currently watching...
Vikings. I love this show. Love the costumes and sets and characters and pretty much everything.
House of Cards. I inhaled both seasons of this show in less than three weeks. Amazing cast and a lot of fun to watch. I never thought I'd get into a political-type show, but I got sucked in immediately.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, season 8. I've been watching this on Hulu with RooG. Amazing that the show is still going, and that the writers are still able to come up with interesting mysteries for the crew to solve.
Ink Master. As fascinating as it's always been. I look forward to it every week and I can't take my eyes off the screen when it's on.
Deadwood, season 2. I've been binge-watching this during my spring break. I love Westerns, and so I love this.
Breaking Bad, season 4. Hulu Japan FINALLY added Season 4 on Friday, so RooG and I have been eating it up at the pace of two or three episodes a night. It's my second time through, and I'm enjoying it even more this time around.
True Detective: Loved this, LOVED the ending. I miss Hart and Cohle already. :(
The Walking Dead. Hulu Japan releases new episodes every Thursday, a full month after they've aired in the US. So we're only on episode 10 of the newest season. Ni spoilers, please. D:
In other news, we donated blood last weekend. It was my tenth time donating here in Japan, so they gave me a little glass cup thingie (?) as a thank you. I also signed up to be a bone marrow donor.
I must admit that the thought of actually being called upon to donate bone marrow fills me with dread, but it's also kind of exciting to think I could possibly help someone that REALLY needs help. I wonder if my gaijin-ness makes me more likely or less likely to be a match for someone? I have no idea.
Yesterday was a really nice day. Frozen FINALLY opened in Japan, so we went to see it again, this time in 3D Still awesome.
After that, we thought we'd go to TGI Friday's for lunch, but on the way there, we passed this little Vietnamese place called Nha Viet Nam ba hoi, whatever that means, that does lunch specials for 1000 yen, with free drinks and all-you-can-eat shrimp crackers. How can we turn down all-you-can-eat shrimp crackers??
Answer: we can't, so we forgot all about Friday's and went there instead. SO glad we did. Every bite of lunch was a revelation. We'll be back.
Later we had piping-hot beignets at Cafe du Monde. mmmmm
ALSO, I have BIG NEWS because today we brought home a new toy for Daisy and she's actually PLAYING WITH IT. All by herself! She LOVES it!
It's a rubber chicken leg that squeaks. She's throwing it around the room and chasing after it. Awesome.
I just came back from a training session with her that went awesome!! We were able to go to some new places we've never been before, and she really listened (most of of the time) and walked with a loose leash (most of the time). So happy.
As time passes, Daisy has felt more comfortable with us and has shown us more of her personality. Our house has three floors (the third floor is a loft), with very steep, very Japanese staircases between floors. From Day One she steadfastly refused to climb the stairs, and no amount of encouragement or bribery with treats would get her up there. Maybe she had had some kind of bad experience with stairs in the past, or maybe she decided the stairs were just too steep for her. Fine, we thought.
When we work out, she gets excited and tries to join in, which is dangerous for all involved, before workouts we've been sticking her in the genkan (entrance hall). The routine lately has been I take her for a walk around 10 AM, and when we come back I just leave her in the genkan, and I go into the living room alone to get my sweat on. I put her blankie out there and also some water and toys and she would patiently wait for me to finish.
That good behavior lasted maybe a week and a half. After that, while I'd be working out, she'd either be crying at the living room door wanting to be let in, or barking at any person who dared pass our front door. :/
UNTIL a few days ago, when I finished my workout and opened up the door, and.... no Daisy! I freaked out. She had vanished into thin air.
No sign of her on the second floor, so I went up to the loft, and...
There she was!! She had carved out a sleeping space for herself amid all the junk up there. ;D
And just like that, it became the new routine. We cleared out a space for her and put a blankie up there, and now, after EVERY walk, she immediately goes right up to the loft and chills out for a while. She lived at the shelter for almost a full year, where she got no privacy and very little peace and quiet, I would imagine. Maybe after all the excitement of a walk, she just likes having a quiet place to decompress all to herself. Who knows. I'm certainly not complaining!!!
Long-Procrastinated TV Roundup!!
Currently watching...
Vikings. I love this show. Love the costumes and sets and characters and pretty much everything.
House of Cards. I inhaled both seasons of this show in less than three weeks. Amazing cast and a lot of fun to watch. I never thought I'd get into a political-type show, but I got sucked in immediately.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, season 8. I've been watching this on Hulu with RooG. Amazing that the show is still going, and that the writers are still able to come up with interesting mysteries for the crew to solve.
Ink Master. As fascinating as it's always been. I look forward to it every week and I can't take my eyes off the screen when it's on.
Deadwood, season 2. I've been binge-watching this during my spring break. I love Westerns, and so I love this.
Breaking Bad, season 4. Hulu Japan FINALLY added Season 4 on Friday, so RooG and I have been eating it up at the pace of two or three episodes a night. It's my second time through, and I'm enjoying it even more this time around.
True Detective: Loved this, LOVED the ending. I miss Hart and Cohle already. :(
The Walking Dead. Hulu Japan releases new episodes every Thursday, a full month after they've aired in the US. So we're only on episode 10 of the newest season. Ni spoilers, please. D:
In other news, we donated blood last weekend. It was my tenth time donating here in Japan, so they gave me a little glass cup thingie (?) as a thank you. I also signed up to be a bone marrow donor.
I must admit that the thought of actually being called upon to donate bone marrow fills me with dread, but it's also kind of exciting to think I could possibly help someone that REALLY needs help. I wonder if my gaijin-ness makes me more likely or less likely to be a match for someone? I have no idea.
Yesterday was a really nice day. Frozen FINALLY opened in Japan, so we went to see it again, this time in 3D Still awesome.
After that, we thought we'd go to TGI Friday's for lunch, but on the way there, we passed this little Vietnamese place called Nha Viet Nam ba hoi, whatever that means, that does lunch specials for 1000 yen, with free drinks and all-you-can-eat shrimp crackers. How can we turn down all-you-can-eat shrimp crackers??
Answer: we can't, so we forgot all about Friday's and went there instead. SO glad we did. Every bite of lunch was a revelation. We'll be back.
Later we had piping-hot beignets at Cafe du Monde. mmmmm
ALSO, I have BIG NEWS because today we brought home a new toy for Daisy and she's actually PLAYING WITH IT. All by herself! She LOVES it!
It's a rubber chicken leg that squeaks. She's throwing it around the room and chasing after it. Awesome.