The Missaroo

The Missaroo
Ready to Take on the World

Monday, May 31, 2010

Rain, Rain, Go Away!


Another rainy day has Missaroo and me stuck inside. It's a bummer for both us us really because I enjoy getting out for a walk too. Even when I don't feel like it, walking in the sun puts a smile on my face. But today we're both pretty bummed.....

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Missaroo and a Kitten too!

Missy loves cats and so do I. In fact, my mom has a cat that I found when I was in seventh grade and made my parents take in. His name is Goldie and I wish he lived here with me. But enough about my parents, remember my mom is censoring me.

I've wanted to get a cat now for a long time, but I wonder how well Missy would do with a cat. She's very happy with the whole only child thing she's got going on. She's also very energetic and might scare a cat that has been abused or a young kitten. So I've convince myself we would have to get an older cat who has a feisty side, someone who could put the good ole Missaroo in her place. She could use a quick paw to the nose now and then, especially if she's up in another cat's grill. We did live with a cat in the TC during our "in between time" but that cat was very independent and we were very much coming into his territory. This would be a much different ballgame.

Now don't worry, I won't be getting a cat anytime soon. My mom thinks I need another pet like I need a whole in my head. But anyone who's been keeping up with the blog knows I have a lot of love to give and that darn clock is ticking, and another pet might help calm it down a bit. But it would have to be the right cat.

Another problem is, I keep saying "we" as in Missy and me. I think of us as a we, I blog about us as a we, so would a cat have a chance to come into that "we"? I think Missy would love to have someone to play with. But again, I'm thinking about Missy, not the cat. Missy and I are inseparable and I worry not so much about that dynamic changing, but about a third anything coming in and feeling, like well a third wheel. Then again, maybe it would be a good thing, for both of us. It's a little unnatural how much time we spend together. Maybe it would be best for both of us to open up a bit. I would definitely have to worry about Miss being jealous, but just as much I'd have to worry about a cat feeling left out. Is there room for Missaroo and a kitten too?   

Friday, May 28, 2010

Wrapping Up Best Buds Day

I said we would do a best buds day every Friday in May. Well today is the last Friday, which meant our last best buds day. We might pick it up again, but I'm not too creative and I've run out of places to go. So here's how we spent the last one, for now:

Missy and I headed to Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane. For those of you who haven't been and aren't from here, Riverfront Park is THE place in Spokane. Everyone knows it and loves it. So we spent an hour walking around. I truly think that even on a gloomy day, Spokane is still beautiful.


Missy was happy to be somewhere we don't go too often and took the time to sniff around.


We also said hello to the ducks, but Missy was less than impressed.

Missaroo also made some friends along the way, but they weren't too receptive.


We ended up walking around for an hour before finally heading home. Then we both stopped for some lunch and a quick update on our twitter pages before we were on the go again. This time we headed to Petco. We walked around the store for about 20 minutes. We said hello to all the other animals there and even some of the people. Then back home we went. Missy got a treat for being so good all day.

By then we were both pooped so we took a nap. And that was pretty much it. I went to work after that. I'm home now and Missy is happy to be chewing on her bone. We might head out for a night stroll before bed and the long work weekend begins. We did go out in style though, doing all the things we love, together.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Overcoming Motorcycle Fears Gus the Bear Style?

Everyone at work likes to tell me, "Hey I saw you walking your dog the other day." It doesn't help that Missaroo and I live across the street from work and walk up and down a fairly busy road. So yes, everyone I work with at one time or another has seen us walk. The other day it was Chuck, one of our engineers who mentioned it. Chuck is a swell guy who I enjoy talking to. He's a good source of information especially when it comes to thinking outside the box or saving money. The conversation started out as usual and then he started asking me about my dog. I mentioned she's great but crazy and then explained her hatred of motorcycles. Then Chuck came up with a possible solution. A possible solution? I never even really had hope she'd get over the motorcycle thing, until now. Chuck asked, "have you ever let her sniff one?" Holy smokes! Nope! He mentioned how one of our other engineers has a motorcycle he drives to work a lot, ((Lance is equally as swell)) you know the place we live across the street from? Let her sniff a motorcycle, genius!

But there's a catch. Missy also barks at parked, non-running motorcycles. So there is a chance she might freak out and not get close enough to sniff one. But with this catch there is another possible solution. Let me tell you the story of Gus the Bear.

Gus the Bear is a Christmas lawn decoration that was outside his house. You know who I'm talking about it. Missy would bark at Gus and wouldn't let me anywhere near it. I even had to call him from outside his house once because Miss wouldn't let me get close enough to knock. I told him she doesn't like Gus. He said, "here I'll fix that" and he took her right up to Gus, she sniffed him and BAM! No more barking at Gus. Well, well, well. Maybe if Someone else takes the Missaroo up to a motorcycle and sniffs it we might have another BAM! on our hands. It's worth a shot. Now all we need is for the rain to stop, the bikes to come out, and a tiny favor from the love of Missy's life. Swallowing my pride in order to take a chance this might work? You bet!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Most Adorable Thing Missaroo Does

I know I've already blogged about Missy taking her bones and treats and "burying" them throughout the apartment. You might remember I even took pictures of her hidden bones. BUT that just doesn't do any justice to how adorable she is when doing it. It's by far her at her cutest. So I finally have video of it. Even the video isn't as amazing as it is to see in person. Missaroo didn't know what to make of me following her around as she looked for a place to "hide." Needless to say, I was still surprised when I woke up this morning and felt something under my pillow. Well without further adieu, the adorable Missaroo:

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Turning 25


My birthday is about two weeks away and I'm about to hit the quarter of a century mark. And to me that's pretty scary. They say 25 is the last birthday to really look forward to because your insurance goes down. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely looking forward to my birthday, but it's the first time I've been afraid to turn another year older. I'm grateful for the life I lead. I'm happy to have a career, not a job, to be on my way to a Master's degree, and to not live at home or in Illinois. I'm also happy I have the Missaroo and that I'm able to take care of the two of us on my own. BUT I also hoped my life would be very different by now.

I had hoped by now I would be one step closer to the new priorities I discovered in the desert. (well the TC that is). Those new priorities include a family life. I don't want to move every two years to climb the ladder. I will if I have to, don't get me wrong, but I'm also tired of introducing myself and at the end of the sentence saying when my end date is. I'm just tired of moving being a defining factor in my relationships.

I don't want to live in Spokane forever, that's not the goal either. But the new goal is to find someone to build a life with and where that conjoined life takes us, I don't really care.

So, I'm turning 25. I feel like I'm rather successful in my own little way and yet I am so far away from my own personal goals it feels like a disappointment. The worst part is I don't have the slightest clue on how to achieve that goal. I thought maybe potentials would see my Master's degree as me trying to settle down. That didn't seem to work. I've tried learning to cook and become all things domestic as a way of showing I am at the very least, girlfriend material. That didn't work. And see the thing is, I can't completely put aside my ambition. I was just hoping to find someone as ambitious who would give me a new definition of success, ours together. And I did for the first time in my journey find someone as ambitious as me. That still didn't work. So it's back to the miss-adventures of me and the Missaroo. I'm turning 25 soon as a single dog mom and I'm hitching my ambition to her. Trying to make her famous one blog and facebook update at a time.

Monday, May 24, 2010

No Really, Greenie is Loved to Death

I'm not really sure how well the sound works on these videos, but I really hope this captures the essence of the squeak toy. So far Greenie has lost his head, his tail. and one of the squeakers. And yet even as I sit here, I can hear the squeak of Greenie behind me. Always.


Sunday, May 23, 2010

Best Buds Day, Interupted

Sorry It's taken so long for me to post about our Best Buds Day. I had a couple of rough days at work. I'll leave it at that! So now I'm trying to remember Friday. I'll do the best I can.

Friday was rather cold in the morning when we got our day started so I dressed accordingly.....
Then we hit the road and headed to Manito Park right here on the Hill. We checked out some of the different gardens....

And made sure to stay on a leash...


But Missy still managed to take in some smells and even made some friends along the way. We were stopped by a mom and daughter who asked if they could pet her. They told me how the recently had to laid down their dog who was also named Missy! They were happy to meet her. 


It also happened to be field trip day at the park. I was happily singing along to Mon Cheri on my Ipod when we turned the corner and HUNDREDS of kids were standing on the path. They had just gotten off the bus. We got a lot of "Hey I like your dog" shouts. I waved and thanked them.

Missy also took every opportunity she could to pee...


We wandered the park for more than an hour, and I do mean wander. There are so many paths and gardens I never end up taking the same way twice. In fact, we sort of got lost for a little bit and had to turn around and go back the way we came. We only sent about two hours on our best buds adventure. Some of my family from the Tri-Cities came up for a visit and I ended up going to lunch with them. Missy did have a good time saying hello to them though. I wish we could have spent more time on an adventure but the spirit of the day was still there. We went somewhere new, we spent time enjoying the day, and we spend qualities time together. I can't wait until next Friday.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Chew-ific!

Sometimes Missaroo will just sit down and chew on her bone for an hour or more. Yesterday was one of those times....


Wednesday, May 19, 2010

An Ode to Don Moate

It was a year ago Friday that Don Moate died. For those of you who don't know, Don was the grandpa I never had. I never met my dad's dad. He died 20 days before I was born, which will be 25 years ago on Thursday. Ironically his name was also Don. My mom's dad wasn't really in her life as a kid so he really wasn't in ours either. He was just sort of this guy we would see a couple of times a year when we went to Wisconsin. I can remember what he looked like, his pickup truck, and his dog, but I can't recall anything he ever said to me. He died when I was still in middle school.

When I moved to the Tri-Cities I had no one, not even the great Missaroo. Enter the Moates. Don and Mary Moate practically adopted me. They became the grandparents I never really had and introduced me to the people that would become my Washington State parents. On May 21st, 2009 Don had his final heart attack and died. Mary called me while I was sleeping. ((I was working overnight and it was about 2 in the afternoon when she called)) I didn't answer, and to this day I never checked the message. The next call I got was from my Washington State dad Wayne, he broke the news.

Don was honest, caring, and blunt. He knew things about people they didn't know themselves. I remember when I told the FAM that I adopted Missy. He looked at me and said, "so that's it? You've given up on guys and got a dog?" Yep. That was pretty much it. I was tired of having my heartbroken and being alone, so I adopted the Missaroo. Don had figured it out before I had.

I know I called this an ode to Don but there are not enough words to describe him and I just can't do him justice. I cannot express how much those people in the Tri-Cities have done for me and are still doing. I owe them so very much that I can never pay back. They gave me a family when I had no family, they took Missaroo and me in when we had no where to go, and they gave me the kind of unconditional love of a family. They are what every Christian strives to be. I loved Don, still do, still miss him. I was walking Missy down the road the other day and I started to laugh to myself and then cried. I was remembering something about Don.

It's amazing how people can touch your life so much. I forget that. I'm always talking about how much Missy means, all that she's gotten me through in the last year and a half. But if it wasn't for Don and Mary I wouldn't have made it in the Tri long enough to have adopted her.

I get mad at God, I do. On and off. But this week I've started to pray again. Sadly, it's taken remembering Don's death to remember how blessed the Missaroo and I truly are. Two years ago my life was so incredibly different. I never thought I would be in Spokane, with a dog and a blog and a second family, but God had other plans. And as always, I'm glad he did because I don't think my plans would have made me as happy as I am. So today, I thank God for the way things turned out.

Miss you Don!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Missaroo @themissaroo


The big adventure of getting Missy to become an Internet star has taken another turn. About a month ago, I blogged about The Fans of the Missaroo. I wrote about how the blog helps me deal and the group made me laugh. Well now Missy has her very own page on Facebook. I'm still working on how to make them separate but both relevant. I want to keep our fans group members and get everyone to join the page too. Any ideas by the way would be greatly appreciated. I'm pretty much thinking the page will be more about the message of the Missaroo: staying positive, helping animals, and loving life. The group is more about her, updates on what's happening, almost like a mini-blog.

Now Missaroo is also on Twitter. The Twitter account is also about spreading the Missaroo message while promoting the blog, group, page, and re-tweeting about animals that still haven't found their forever home. I'm not going to lie, the Twitter thing is also kind of a popularity contest. I hope she gets way more followers than me. Right now she has 14 and I only happen to know 3 of them. So that's pretty cool. 

I sometimes get caught up in the numbers and trying to update, update, update. Most of the time I've pretty much convinced myself that nobody is reading. Then on Friday Missy and I got the best message ever. A woman I went to college with wrote on the page to tell me she was inspired by our blog and stories and rescued "a little Missy of her own." WOW! That was pretty much the coolest thing ever.

As open as I am about my life, it's still hard to put yourself out there. ((I think if there's one thing the blog has taught you it should be that I don't deal with having my heart rejected very well)) And I am defiantly someone who wears her heart on her sleeve. It's hard to say hey we'd love to hear from you! And then never get a response. It's understandable, but not easy. So I leave you with this, what you say matters and more than that your actions matter. Right when I think, OK I'm nuts time to call it a day, someone says thank you for what you do, or even better rescues an animal in need. Thanks to everyone for keeping the Missaroo message alive three months later.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Greenie


Missy loves all toys that squeak. She has an affection for those stuffed toys you see at the pet store but then she turns into that scene in TommyBoy where Tommy uses a biscuit to talk about loving the "pretty little pet" too much and then rips it to shreds. The scene ends with Tommy saying "I can't believe he called me a psycho" That's what Miss does with her stuffed toys she loves them to death.

The thing with the squeak toys is she must get the squeak to stop. She has figured out where it's coming from exactly inside the toy. She then makes a hole right there and pulls out all of the stuffing in order to get to it. The scary thing is with one of her toys she not only took the squeaker out but she actually detached it so even outside of the toy it couldn't squeak. But in the process she eats the stuffing, which makes her throw up. ((It runs in the family apparently)) So we've laid off the stuffed toys for a while. She hasn't had one since she destroyed moo. Until Best Buds Day.

Friday at Petco, you know, where the pets go, I decided it was time for a new toy. We found this one that had five squeakers in it BUT it doesn't really have any stuffing in it. It's one of those all natural toys ((not that I care about that part)) but it also looked a little more durable than Moo. I named him Greenie and Missy was in love right away. Well today is Monday and I'll just let the pictures do the rest of the talking....

Behind on the Blogging

So I've been blog slacking over the last couple of days. I know I've been really good at not going more than a day without a new adventure until now. Well here's why and WARNING: our funny, little blog gets GROSSS, again.

Saturday morning I started puking and I just couldn't stop. Usually I throw up maybe once or twice and then I feel better. So on Saturday when I threw up a couple of times before work I really didn't think too much of it. But at work I just couldn't stop. I was sitting under my desk sweating and puking. Finally I called my boss. It's the first time I've called in sick.

I went home and Miss knew something was up. Mom doesn't come home that early on a Saturday. She was lying very nicely in her crate when I let her out and headed straight for bed. Missaroo followed. She didn't even try to snuggle when she saw the covers go up and around my head. Instead, she stood guard at the bottom of my bed all day long. When I got up to puke again and again she followed me into the bathroom and sat down next to me and then back to bed I would go as she went back to her post. My good little girl.

I found myself realizing I have the best dog in the world. She only wined at me when she had to go to the bathroom and once again at midnight after I forgot to feed her. I FORGOT TO FEED MY DOG! I also had one of those, good thing you're not a child moments because CPS would have coming a knockin' on that one.

I was finally able to hold down liquid at about 2:30 and tried solid food at 5. It was a long day. I'm glad I had the Missaroo to see me through.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Best Buds Day Revisited

So it's Best Buds Day 2 and I'm already breaking a rule, blogging on Best Buds Day, but the Missaroo is sleeping under my desk pretty dead to the world and I have to go to work pretty soon so I thought I'd catch you up before my work week officially starts.

Today Missaroo was up at 6am, I was not. Of course I took her outside but I slept in until closer to 7:45am. Then I got ready for the big day. First stop Petco, you know, where the pets go? Now for you avid readers of the blog you might think you just read a typo. Petco? Don't you mean Petsmart? Not this time. Here's the deal, we go to the Petsmart in Spokane Valley and as KREM 2 News' Othello Richards reports there's a ton of construction going on and it's one big mess (( I love my job sometimes)) So we decided to stay on the hill and head to Petco instead. Missy loves all pet stores so it didn't really matter to her, she was excited to go. And that little rebel wore her Petsmart bandanna inside! ((ok maybe her mom is the rebel))


From there we ditched the car and went for a walk. We found a great new place off of Southeast Blvd. to walk. It's like a little nature park. Missaroo loved all the new smells!


Then we came home a played with the new toy I picked up for Miss. I named him Greenie. More on the toy in another blog. She loves him. Then we had some lunch and kicked back to snuggle and watch some TV. After the short break, we headed out again on our usual long walk for the day. By the time we turned toward home, Missy was walking behind me, yep she was pooped! Doesn't happen very often but that is a sure sign of a successful Best Buds Day. Unfortunately, it's pretty much over. I'll be heading to work and then she'll eat again and potty and that will be about it. But we enjoyed the day with smiles on our faces! That's what Best Buds Day is all about!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

No Really, Look What Miss Can Do

One of these days I'll get organized and the video will match the blogs. Until then enjoy the day late video!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Look What Miss Can Do

I was asked the other day if Missy high-fived, since I'm big into throwing down the fivers as people walk passed. The short answer is no. The long answer is she doesn't like her paws touched in general. She's really weird about it. She will shake if there is a treat involved, but Miss is a treat whore and there really isn't a whole lot she won't do for a treat.

Now Missaroo should know how to do more tricks after the hundreds of dollars I've spent on training but that's not the case. We were amazing students when it came to beginner class. Missy was the first dog to learn whatever the day's lesson was and then we would practice everyday, throughout the day. We fell off a bit when it came to intermediate class and that's where a lot of the actual "tricks" were taught.

The trick Missy does best is sit. She learned very early on that sitting equaled treat. In fact when she first learned to sit she became that kid that just learned about the word please. She would look at me as if to say, but mom I'm sitting, where's the treat. To this day, when the closet opens up and she hears the treat box rustling around she runs up and parks it and then licks her lips. When we check out at Petsmart, she runs behind the counter and sits. The cashier asks me if she can have a treat and I always answer the same way, "Of course, that's why she's sitting like that." What can I say? Missaroo is pretty good at equating positive things like that.

Other than that, she can shake like I mentioned, she can wait ((is that really a trick?)) and she has rolled over maybe three times. Two of those times didn't come easy and required a threat. The third time was all on her own in the middle of the KREM newsroom. There were a bunch of guys standing around meeting her for the first time and she turned on the Missaroo charm and rolled over! I couldn't believe it, but seriously she might love the men more than I do. She can also crawl. Sounds weird, and ((surprise)) requires a treat but she will shimmy across the floor.

But I think Missaroo's greatest trick is that she can put on a backpack, or maybe that's mine. When we were on the brink of homelessness and almost had to move back to Illinois I told my family I was going to train Missaroo for the dog agility games on ESPN. My brother asked how I would ever get my dog to go through weave polls and I told him, "Hey my dog puts on a backpack, if I can get her to do that I can get her to weave"

So what can Miss do? Anything that involves a treat.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

It's Play Time Missaroo

Because sometimes the pictures just aren't enough Missaroo.

Missy sometimes plays alone.

But most of the time I play too.

A Dog Mom Who Crafts? Kinda

I think by now one of the running themes that have emerged in this blog is my desire to become more domestic. I somehow believe that this will make me better "wife material." That's probably not true, but it makes sense in my head so I'm going with it.

Anyway, I make blankets. I think for most of you who know me you just went "WHAT!?!" Yeah I know. You've all seen them before, those fleece tie blankets. Yep, those are the ones I make. I've made a total of four in my lifetime, three in the Tri-Cities and two of those went to dogs, the third to the dogs' owner.

This last one I made for myself, kinda. I'm not actually using it; I made it and then put it away in the closet. I'm not very good about doing things for myself and that includes making a blanket and then keeping it. Now, I know at least one person ((yep that one who keeps popping up)) who might consider it the best blanket ever invented.
I did not make it for him though; this one is staying with me even if it is in the closet.


So why blankets? Well I'm not very crafty. In 6th grade you go to camp as a class. ((God Bless Lutheran Schools)) Part of earning your grade is adding onto the class quilt. Let's just say there were a lot of tears and my square was actually done by one of the moms. All I was trying to make was a Bible ((which would be a square)) with a cross on it and I failed miserably. I have always wanted to secretly be like Martha Stewart ((also following her on Twitter)) but I just lack the skills. But with these fleece tie blankets, even when I kinda mess up they still turn out useable. I mean, it might not be the best looking blanket but it's a functional blanket nonetheless.

So what does this have to do with Missy or the blog? Well it sticks with the whole dog-mom vs. kid-mom theme as well. Real moms are crafty. They sew buttons, help with finger painting, and encourage picture drawing. This dog mom makes idiot proof blankets. Now I have a friend who recently became a dog mom who is crafty and cooks. She will be a GREAT kid mom too. But not all of us are that cool. The blanket thing makes me a least feel like I'm kid-mom crafty and it gives me another hobby to list besides "making my dog an internet star."

Monday, May 10, 2010

To Brush or Not To Brush

This is a debate I've been having with myself since the beginning of March. Missy was at the vet for what felt like the 100th time since we moved to Spokane. She always gets a very good overall report of being healthy and happy from the vet. This time the vet also noticed a little tarter on two of her teeth. She mentioned to me I might want to consider brushing her teeth. I told her, "Oh I can just have the groomer starting doing that every time she goes".


((Which by the way is a classic Brittany response. There are many things I rather just pay someone else to do than do myself. I'm pretty poor most of the time and scrappy when it comes to penny pinching but there are things I refuse to do. One prime example is clean my car. I will never ever clean my car. I would rather pay my last buck to someone else to clean it for me then even attempt to do it myself. Needless to say it's been almost a year since the inside of my car was cleaned.))

But of course, when it comes to Missy it's a whole other ballgame. I would also use my last buck to feed her instead of myself. So in response to my groomer solution the vet told me that just wouldn't do. She says for any real progress to be made I would have to brush her teeth everyday, not once every 6 weeks. Yikes! Now it's not that Missy's teeth are bad at all, it's just the nature of the game. Paying the groomer to do it won't actually be of any help, it's about the same as never having it done at all.

Well since then, I've come up with a compromise, sort of. My executive producer at work also has a dog that ended up being allergic to something in her home. She had to change everything from food and treats to laundry detergent. So Missaroo and I scored some "Clean and Crunch" treats out of it. Missaroo loves them and they are suppose to help keep her teeth clean. She gets one everyday. Now of course I THINK I see an improvement. But this week we'll be taking a trip to Petsmart to pick up another bag of dog food and I'll probably stand in front of the tooth brushes for a while.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Moms Day!


I have one of the best moms in the entire world. I would love to blog about her today but I'm not allowed to blog about my parents anymore ((censorship from 2,000 miles away, yes it's possible)) so I'm making this about being a mom instead.


Being a kid mom is the toughest job in the world. Being a dog mom is much easier, but like I've said before I'm still a mom. I would love to one day get a card on this holiday though. I have a few friends who actually received cards from their dogs telling them what great moms they have. Since it's just me and Miss, I wasn't as lucky. I spent the day at work missing my own mom and my own child, the Missaroo. I really hope I'm a good dog mom to her.


Today I actually considered looking into Big Brothers/Big Sisters. We run these promos on KREM 2 all the time because we are sponsoring this year's bowling event. For the first time, ((maybe because it's mother's day)) the promo came on and I could actually hear a clock ticking in my heart. Usually, it only ticks in my head when I see babies, but these were big kids and the clock isn't just getting louder, it's actually on the move! I've also noticed that my love of the Missaroo is starting to become a love of wanting another pet. For a long time I've wanted to add a cat to our family. The feeling hasn't gone away. I get real and rational and realize I can't afford one, but tick tock.

This is probably one of my least thought out posts I've ever written. I'm just kind of rambling a bit. But I guess the bottom line is, to all you kid moms out there today, I was more jealous of you then usual. I love my Missaroo for so many reasons, ((Reason # 147,568 was seeing her tongue hanging out as we walked today)) I wouldn't trade her for the world, but I wish she wasn't the only kid in my world. I wish our family was bigger. Or I wish someone would just bust that darn clock already.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Our Miss-Adventure

Miss and I celebrated our first Best Buds Day by doing what we do best, making the most of what we've got. After our usual long walk, I decided we'd backpack it to who knows where. I loaded down Miss with water and food.....


And then I did the same....


By the time we were almost out the door, I noticed Missy licking her backpack. Turns out her water had leaked, big time....


So her backpack went out on the balcony to dry and I put her bandana on her instead.


She of course had to give it a good shake before leaving.

Then we headed to the soccer fields right here on the Hill. Yep. We drove a couple of blocks. But then we got out and RAN! I never run let alone drop Missaroo's leash, but we were all by ourselves and we did it. I tried to get Miss to play with her ball but she was too into sniffing the ground and chasing after birds. Soon it was time for a snack.


After the walk and running I was pretty pooped. We went for a car ride but Miss just barked the entire time so we headed for home and did what we really do best, sit on the balconey. Then Miss decided to chew on some of the wet treats she found in her backpack.

Gross!

After a long afternoon in the sunshine we took a nap. Best Buds Day complete!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Best Buds Day!

Miss and I are starting a new tradition that should be full of miss-adventures! Every Friday in May is Best Buds Day in our home and since Miss is my best bud guess who I'll be spending the day with!?! I promise to blog about what we did tomorrow, but right now we're just too happy to sit around. It's all about having a positive attitude. Come on, you can do it four days out of the month! I'm challenging you to start a new tradition in the spirit of Best Buds Day too, just make sure you tell us all about it. Enjoy the day!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go

Every morning Missaroo is up with the sun. She has to go to the bathroom. On a good day she goes at about 6:45am and 8:45 am. On a bad day its 4am, 7:45am, and again at 9am. She is super good about waking me up, I moan and complain and try to just rollover on her, but she won't let up. I'm very grateful, because if it's sleepy time and she's wining it really only means one thing, she has to Pee. Right. Now. I rather be woken up then clean up an accident.

I would be a hypocrite if I complained too much about her always having to go to the bathroom, because I am notorious for always having to go to the bathroom. It's plagued me my whole life. I have found the bathroom in every grocery store, K-Mart ((remember those)), and restaurant I've ever been in. When I go somewhere new I often ask the people I'm with things like, "how's the bathroom here, is it clean?" And then I'm surprised when they don't know because they've never used it. What? You don't have to pee all of the time? Hmm....

In fact as I got older, I just stopped drinking or eating before I went anywhere. Solid food or not, it would probably make me pee. Even now, I can't tell you how many times in the last 8 months, I've booked it to the bathroom at work. I drink a lot of water and Pepsi while working on shows or the web and I'll want to finish and hit the save button before I get up. And then it requires a bit of a hustle getting there.

So what brought this up? Last night at my class we didn't get our break. Every grad class I've had we've gotten a 5 to 10 minute break depending on the professor and how much we had to cover. The classes are 3 hours long, so it's nice just to stand up after a while. Last night the professor kind of forgot. By the time he realized it, the snack shop was closed. Being a guy, he didn't think too much of it and said oh the place is already close, I guess we'll just leave 5 minutes early tonight. You should have seen the groan from all of the women in the room. I turned to Tiffany ((the woman who sits next to me, I'm three for three when it comes to sitting next to her)) and was like oh man! And she was like I really have to go to the bathroom.

When class let out, Tiffany and I were the first two out the door. We usually gab about the class as we walk out. But we were on a mission, no talking this time just bookin it to the bathroom. As I was washing my hands, slowly but surely every single woman in my class made her way into the bathroom. I had to laugh a little to myself and I immediately thought of Missy. I knew the first thing I would do ((as always)) when I got home would be to take her out to pee. She's a girl dog after all and when you gotta go, you gotta go.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

My Prize Possessions

Ok, so this is another one of those all about the dog mom blogs, but as always you know I'll work the Missaroo into the mix.


There are three things in this world that I own outright. The first is my car. It is bought and paid for and the only thing I could ever use in the real world as collateral. Sure it's a 1997 Toyota Avalon that recently needed about a thousand dollars worth of work, but it's a great car. I've never had any major problems with it, and considering its 13 years old, a thousand dollars a year on it isn't all that bad. Without it, I wouldn't have made the two thousand mile trek to Washington. I loaded everything I owned in it and drove that baby straight across the country. If I hadn't owned it outright, I wouldn't have been able to get my first apartment either. Like I said, collateral. Sure, I'm always thinking about getting a new one, but that probably won't be affordable as long as I'm still in my 20's. You wouldn't know it from looking at it, but my car means a lot to me.

The second is my education. It is the one thing no one can ever take away from me. My college graduation was the most important day of my life. The only thing that could top that would be my wedding day and since we all know I'm pretty sure that day might never come, graduation still holds up as the best day of my life. In fact, someone I once considered to be my best friend made excuses as to why he couldn't come to Macomb that weekend even though I had a ride planned to and from for him. Needless to say, we no longer speak. I am currently working toward my Master's Degree. That graduation will be equally as important and I might cherish that degree even more than my undergrad work, but my days at Western Illinois and all that I accomplished there can never be outdone.

The third of course is the Missaroo. She is the love of my life, my kid, my best bud, and always the only thing I come home to. I don't have anyone in the state of Washington I really consider a friend. My one Washington state friend moved to Texas recently and before that we hadn't really hung out in a long time because we lived on opposite ends of the state. I have people at work I've hung out with a few times. One producer, Kristen, is probably the closest to a friend. I think she's a super person but we don't get to hang out too much because of our schedules. I have wonderful family in the Tri-Cities, but family is not the same as a friend. So I have Missy. And I own her outright too. I have the paperwork that shows she belongs to me, she's my dog. She is also my most prized possession and so much more.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Wet Behind the Ears

Last week Missaroo spent all day Thursday at daycare. She needed the play time after our life adventure on Wednesday. When I went to pick her up she did her usual scramble for me. She gets so excited to see me she just can't move fast enough, plus she has to pee. The gal who brought her out told me, "she must have been playing, her ears are wet." I assumed they were slobbery from another dog and didn't think too much of it. Plus that's the whole point right, playing with other dogs?

So ((for those of you who live in Spokane)) we're stopped at Division and Sprague and I look over at her and her ears aren't wet they're SOAKED. But it's just her ears, not a drop of wetness on her anywhere else. I BLAST LAUGHED! How in the heck are her ears wet like that!?! I took a few pictures at the next few lights we hit on our way up the Hill. Unfortunately those pics are still on my new phone. I can't seem to figure out how to get them off there and onto my computer just yet.

My crazy dog! She was so happy and did seem like she played pretty hard. I would give anything for a doggie daycare cam to see her in action. I bet she's a totally different dog out there then she is on a leash with me. One theory goes she put her head in the water bucket. Probably. I love my Missaroo and her soaking wet ears.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Adopt a Pet Month

Did you know that May is adpot a pet month? I adopted Missy and would never think to get a pet any other way. There are so many animals that need a good home out there. Missy and I encourage you to take the time to look into pet adoption. Maybe you are unsure if a pet is right for you at this time. I know what a big undertaking/responsiblity it is. I live it everyday, but it is so worth it in the end.

When I first considered getting a dog I just went looking to see what was out there. I started by looking the local humane society website. From there I discovered Petfinder and that's where I found my Missaroo. There is also a blog I now follow http://blog.adoptapet.com/ that is also helpful. Recently I came across a dog named Libby in need of help through Spokanimal's Facebook Page. Libby is in need of surgery and a good home. I was about to make a donation when my car and cell phone both went out at the same time. If I can get my bills paid down to a reasonable amount, I'm hoping to give to her cause, even if it's only $20. I would ask anyone who can to try and help Libby out or any other animal this month.

If everyone could help one animal in need during the month of May, we could really make a difference. Please consider it.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."


~ Anatole France